Factors Influencing Dressing Waterproof Success Rate During Aquatic Exercise

Research Objectives: To investigate factors affecting waterproof success rate of transparent film dressings used during water exercise. The authors hypothesized that site location, skin preparation, immersion duration, and dressing type influence waterproof success rate.

Design: A crossover trial with random selection of 2 dressing types was conducted. Dressings were placed over dry gauze on 4 sites of each participant (bilateral knees and forearms). A liquid film-forming skin preparation product was used prior to dressing application on one knee and forearm site. Dressings were assessed for waterproof success at 15-minute increments until 60 minutes.

Setting: Participants were recruited at 5 aquatic physical therapy workshops in the United States.

Participants: One hundred apparently healthy participants (39.0 ±1.8 years) were enrolled. All participants completed the study with no adverse effects.

Interventions: Light intensity water exercise consisting of walking, active range of motion, and supine floating in a 31-33°C pool.

Main Outcome Measures: Dressing waterproof success was visually assessed and defined as lack of water penetration into the gauze.

Results: Longer immersion time decreased waterproof success rate with the largest drop occurring between 45-60 minutes (98.25% at 1 minute, 96.25% at 15 minutes, 94.75% at 30 minutes, 93.25% at 45 minutes, 88.25% at 60 minutes). Forearm site location had a higher waterproof success rate compared to knee site at 60 minutes (95% vs 81.5%). Tegaderm dressings had a slightly higher waterproof success rate compared to Opsite dressings at 60 minutes (90.5% vs 86%). Skin preparation with a liquid film-forming product had a slightly higher waterproof rate at 60 minutes (89% vs 87.5%).

Conclusions: Several factors increased the waterproof success rate of transparent waterproof dressings with water exercise including forearm vs knee site location, shorter immersion time, Tegaderm vs Opsite dressing, and skin preparation with a liquid film-forming product prior to dressing application.

Author(s) Disclosures: No disclosures to report from either author