This podcast episode will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the prevention and management of skin injuries related to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).This is a follow-up to the EWMA webinar we ran on the 30^th April devoted to this topic. Due to a high volume of questions and level of interest that we have received during the webinar we have decided to follow-up with this podcast.  In this episode we will be answering some of the questions raised from the webinar. 

Some of the questions answered in this podcast:

• For these healthcare professionals who work in a home care setting, what do you recommend in terms of PPE use?
• What recommendations you would give for cleaning lesions caused by PPE? One of the webinar participants has asked whether it is possible to use a hypochlorous acid solution for this purpose?
• Which kind of dressings healthcare professionals should be using as a preventive measure for PPE?
• What are your recommendations for the prevention and management of hand dermatitis caused by PPE?
• Do you have any experience in using any type of special textile material to minimize the secondary effects of using PPE in particular gloves or masks?

Guidelines on PPE mentioned in the podcast:

Gefen A, Alves P, Ciprandi G et al. Device related pressure ulcers: SECURE prevention. J Wound Care 2020; 29(Sup2a): S1–S52. Available here

Gefen A, Ousey K. Update to device-related pressure ulcers: SECURE prevention. COVID-19, face masks and skin damage. J Wound Care 2020; 29(5). Available here

LeBlanc K, Heerschap C, Butt B, Bresnai-Harris J, Wiesenfeld L. Prevention and Management of Personal Protective Equipment Skin Injury: Update 2020. NSWOCC. Available here

National Health Service. Helping prevent facial skin damage beneath personal protective equipment. 2020. NHS. Available here

WOCN. Guidance for Maintaining Skin Health When Utilizing Protective Masks for Prolonged Time Intervals. 2020. WOCN. Available here