A Comparative Study of 25% Zinc Oxide Ointment and Zinc Paste for the Prevention and Treatment of Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis (IAD) at Perianal Skin in Pediatric Patients
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Abstract
Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of 25% zinc oxide ointment and zinc paste in preventing and treating incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) in pediatric patients, and to evaluate the ease of cleansing after product application.
Design: A randomized controlled trial.
Methods: The study included 110 pediatric patients aged 0–7 years with grade 1 perianal dermatitis who were admitted to the Department of Pediatric Surgery at a university hospital in Bangkok. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either zinc paste (control group) or 25% zinc oxide ointment (intervention group). The data were analyzed using a non-inferiority test for the proportions of the two independent groups.
Main finding: The proportion of patients whose skin condition improved or remained stable was 71.7% in the control group and 86% in the intervention group. Regarding cleansing ease, the average number of cotton balls used per cleaning session was 3.8 in the control group and 2.3 in the intervention group, which was statistically significant. The average amount of petrolatum used per session was 2 grams in the control group and 1 gram in the intervention group, with no significant difference.
Conclusion and Recommendations: The 25% zinc oxide ointment was found to be non-inferior to zinc paste in the prevention and treatment of IAD in pediatric patients and also demonstrated greater ease of cleansing. Therefore, it can be considered an alternative option for managing pediatric patients with this condition. However, other contextual factors such as diaper change frequency, skin cleansing techniques, and stool characteristics should also be considered, as they may influence the clinical effectiveness of skin care.
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