Nursing Program Applying Lithospermum Oil for Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis Care Among Older Patients in Intensive Care Units: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: Incontinence-associated dermatitis affects patients admitted to the intensive care unit, especially older adults, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Therefore, nursing activities to prevent and care for incontinence-associated dermatitis are important and necessary for healthcare staff and caregivers. This study aimed to explore the effectiveness of a nursing prevention and care program involving the application of Lithospermum Oil on the risk, severity, and incidence rate of incontinence-associated dermatitis among older adult intensive care unit patients.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial was conducted from July 2023 to October 2023. Sixty-eight samples were recruited by systematic random sampling and equally divided into two groups by simple random sampling. The experimental group received a nursing prevention and care program that involved applying Lithospermum Oil for five days; however, a control group received routine care.

Results: After attending the program, the risk level of IAD in the experimental group was no different from that before the application or from the control group. However, after the experiment, the incidence of IAD in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group. Finally, the severity of IAD in the experimental group before the experiment did not significantly differ from that after the experiment or from the control group.

Conclusion: This study's findings indicate that the intervention effectively reduces the incidence of IAD but does not significantly impact its risk or severity. Nursing prevention and care programs and Lithospermum Oil should be integrated into routine clinical practice to enhance patient care and minimize skin-related complications.

Qiao G, Banharak S, Panpanit L, Sae-Sia W, Promnoi C. Nursing Program Applying Lithospermum Oil for Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis Care Among Older Patients in Intensive Care Units: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Clin Interv Aging. 2025 Aug 28;20:1401-1415. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S535087. PMID: 40905002; PMCID: PMC12402430.