Effect on coldness of swabbing residual moisture on the skin surface immediately after a bed bath

Abstract

This study was performed to examine whether swabbing of residual moisture on the skin surface immediately after a bed bath has an effect on coldness, based on physiological and subjective evaluations. Using a crossover design, methods with and without swabbing of residual moisture on the skin surface using a dry towel immediately after a bed bath were performed for 10 healthy adult subjects. For physiological evaluation, the temperature of the skin surface and autonomic nerve activity were measured, while a subjective evaluation was performed using a visual analog scale for assessment of coldness. The results were compared between the methods. With swabbing, the temperature on the skin surface gradually decreased for 10 seconds immediately after the bed bath, but thereafter, there was no change in temperature. In contrast, without swabbing, the temperature rapidly decreased for 10 seconds immediately after the bed bath, and then gradually decreased after 15 seconds. The temperature immediately after the bed bath was higher without swabbing, but thereafter, there was no significant difference between the methods. Regarding autonomic activity, parasympathetic activity increased after the bed bath in subjects without swabbing, and was higher than that in those with swabbing. Although there was no significant difference in the visual analog scale between the methods, the percentage of subjects who felt coldness was higher in those without swabbing. These findings suggest that swabbing of residual moisture on the skin surface immediately after a bed bath results in a modest change in skin temperature, and thus, is effective to reduce the feeling of coldness after a bed bath.