Water Hygiene Versus Waterless Hygiene Technology for Totally Dependent Hospitalized Patients

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Waterless Hygiene Technology for Totally Dependent Hospitalized Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study

The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to verify whether the efficacy of perineal hygiene procedures performed in dependent patients admitted to medical or geriatric wards with pre-moistened wipes without water is higher than that found after procedures performed with disposable hand grips, soap, and water.

Patients hospitalized in medicine and geriatrics wards will be admitted, both for scheduled and urgent hospitalizations. If the patient meets the study inclusion criteria, we will proceed with the description of the study, the delivery of the information form and the collection of informed consent. Only after signing the consent, the patient can be enrolled in the study. The day following enrollment, the first perineal hygiene in the morning will be performed with pre-moistened wipes without water or with disposable hand grips, soap and water depending on the study group to which the patient has been randomly assigned.

In both groups, a skin swab will be performed before and after the hygiene practice, after which the patient will leave the study.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients over 18 years of age inclusive at the time of the study;
• Patients admitted to medical or geriatric wards with scheduled or urgent hospitalization;
• Hypothesis of hospitalization of at least 48 hours
• Totally dependent patients who are bedridden and unable to independently provide for their own personal hygiene.
• Patient-oriented in time and space/cognitively cooperative.
• Acquisition of written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who have performed perineal hygiene with wipes or other methods containing antiseptic solutions in the 12-24 hours preceding the execution of the swab for the bacteriological examination.
• Patients who have undergone a treatment procedure in the groin and/or perineal area that required skin antisepsis (e.g. femoral blood sampling, bladder catheter insertion, etc.).
• Patients with known allergies to one of the components of the products used.
• Patients diagnosed with dermatological pathologies.
• Patients colonized or infected with microorganisms transmissible by contact.
• Patients in bowel cleansing preparation for diagnostic procedures e therapeutic.
• Patients with diarrheal bowel.
• Patients hospitalized on Saturdays and Sundays due to the difficulty of illustrating information and acquiring informed consent since healthcare professionals are small in number.
• Patient enrolled and then transferred to another ward or discharged before 48 hours.