Foam tape is commonly used in the emergency department as a dressing over chest tubes owing to its occlusive and compressible properties. There is a paucity of data regarding the incidence of significant cutaneous reactions to this material. The investigators conducted a prospective trial to evaluate the incidence of dermatitis following application of foam tape to the upper arm of a cohort of healthy volunteers.
This was a prospective, interventional trial. The investigators enrolled a cohort of consenting, healthy physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff at a teaching facility who did not have known hypersensitivity to foam tape. Study investigators applied a 2x2 inch piece of 3M micro-foam adhesive to the medial aspect of each subject's upper arm. The contralateral arm served as a reference for comparison. The adhesive remained in place for 48 hours and the study authors assessed patients utilizing the previously validated Cutaneous Irritancy Scoring System (CISS). Categorical variables analyzed by chi-square, continuous variables with t-tests.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
40
A 2x2 inch piece of 3M microfoam adhesive will be applied to the medial aspect of the subject's upper arm. The adhesive will remain in place for 48 hours at which time an investigator will remove the adhesive and assess the study area. A numerical value will be assigned based on the Cutaneous Irritancy Scoring System (CISS). The study site will be compared to the contra-lateral upper extremity at the end of the 48 hour period.
CHRISTUS Health/Texas A&M Health Science Center
Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
CHRISTUS Health
Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Cutaneous Irritancy Scoring System
A score will be assigned to the test area using the established Cutaneous Irritancy Scoring System. Using an established scoring system grading based on erythema and edema, a cumulative score will be obtained by adding erythema and edema. A score of 0 is no reaction. A score of 1-3 is mild, 4-5 is moderate, and 6-8 severe.
Time frame: 48 hours
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