The MASD problem
Moisture-Associated Skin Damage (MASD) is an umbrella term, which covers a range of types of skin damage caused by repeated or prolonged moisture on the skin.
Sadly, incidence rates of MASD are as high as 29% amongst longer stay (48 hours+)1 patients in areas like critical care. In a recent survey, 60%2 of respondents said rates had increased in the last 12 months.
So, what can we do?
Back in 2017, Julie Tyrer, Tissue Viability Nurse Consultant at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS FT, started developing a local quality improvement initiative called MINIMISE Moisture™.
The aim of this initiative was to increase awareness of MASD risk factors amongst healthcare professionals in the Trust, combined with the implementation of a new protocol to prevent and manage MASD in patients.
The results were impressive, with 96% of staff surveyed being better able to identify patients at risk.
This new level of understanding also contributed to a threefold reduction in MASD cases between April 2019 and February 2020.
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Launch of MINIMISE Moisture initiative at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
MASD Awareness Day
On 17 March 2022, we celebrated the first ever MASD day. The aim of this first MASD Awareness Day was to get everyone to THINK MASD and have a plan to MINIMISE Moisture for those patients who are most at risk of developing MASD.
Missed out on the day?
We can still support you with running your own MASD Awareness Day.
To help you get started, we have worked with Julie to develop a MINIMISE Moisture digital campaign kit containing posters and an educational leaflet, for both staff and patients, that can be used all year round.
Complete the online form below to access your MINIMISE Moisture digital campaign kit for your local MASD Awareness Day.
MASD Awareness Day registration
Complete the registration form below to receive your digital campaign pack:
You can also order MINIMISE Moisture promotional merchandise here.
Let’s make sure we all have a plan to MINIMISE Moisture and stop our patients suffering the discomfort and indignity of MASD.
#thinkMASD #MINIMISEMoisture
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Reference:
1. Valls-Matarín, et al. (2017). Incidence of moisture-associated skin damage in an intensive care unit, 28(1), 13–20
2. Medline MASD Survey October 2021
MINIMISE Moisture and the MINIMISE Moisture logo are trademarks of Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the UK.