What do we know about skin‐hygiene care for patients with bariatric needs? Implications for nursing practice

Aim This article presents a discussion of the current state of knowledge about bariatric skin‐hygiene care and whether this is sufficient to underpin evidence‐based nursing practice. Background The challenges of providing bariatric skin‐hygiene care are highlighted and include managing specific skin changes with associated risk of skin breakdown and practical management needs. The risk of skin breakdown is high and can have a devastating impact on well‐being and increased treatment costs. Data sources A four‐stage search strategy included: (i) literature search using electronic databases from inception–May 2013; (ii) hand search of selected journals; (iii) review of internet‐based guidelines, policies or protocols and (iv) contact with clinical experts. Discussion There is a dearth of robust evidence on bariatric skin‐hygiene care. Whilst a range of information and guidelines exist, these are generally based on expert opinion and often used only in a local context. Implications for nursing Nurses are increasingly faced with the challenge of providing skin‐hygiene care for patients with bariatric needs. At present, care is largely based on custom and practice or clinical opinion; this limits capacity to provide optimum evidence‐based nursing care. Conclusion As the prevalence of people needing bariatric skin‐hygiene care continues to increase, there is a lack of evidence to inform interventions and hence a growing need for further research in this challenging clinical area to help nurses and patients select the best possible interventions that will meet individual personal‐hygiene needs and preserve skin integrity.