Comparison of the Effects of Complete Bed Baths Using Towels with Different Surface Properties - Synthetic and Gauze -

A 　i 　m : To compare the effects of complete bed baths using towels (coarse synthetic/gauze) with different surface properties (such as the number of meshes on the surface). M e t h o d s : Fifteen healthy male students who consented were treated with complete bed baths using the 2 types of towel on different days, and the effects were evaluated using the following indices: core body temperature, skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate variability, skin moisture and oil contents, skin surface pH and cleanliness levels, short-version POMS-J, levels of wakefulness and relaxation, and texture rated on a Likert scale. R e s u l t s : Both types of towel led to an increase in the level of relaxation immediately after the bed bath, increases in the core body temperature and skin temperature, excluding that in peripheral regions, which persisted until the final point, and decrease in the skin oil content immediately after the bed bath (P=0.001 in all cases). When using the synthetic towels, the soft feel of the towel (P =0.001) and level of wakefulness decreased immediately after the bed bath (P =0.002), the systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels decreased at 15 minutes after the bed bath (P=0.011), and the skin moisture content decreased (P=0.001), while the skin surface pH level increased immediately after the bed bath(P =0.018). The results of subjective evaluation did not support the gauze towels in terms of comfort, except for the level of relaxation which increased immediately after the bed bath. When using the gauze towels, the diastolic blood pressure level increased immediately after the bed bath (P=0.002), the heart rate decreased until the final point (P=0.028), the parasympathetic activity level (HF) increased at 15 minutes after the bed bath (P=0.012), and the skin moisture content decreased until the final point (P=0.001), while the skin cleanliness level increased immediately after the bed bath (P =0.011), indicating that dirt had been effectively removed. Conclusions: Compared with the synthetic towels, the gauze towels produced stronger tactile and pressure stimulation on their surface, resulting in poorer subjective evaluation results, but their effect of removing dirt from the skin was greater.