FUNDA - hygiene

• Hygiene


  The science of health and its maintenance
• Personal hygiene


  The self-care by which individuals attend to such functions as bathing, toileting, general body hygiene, and grooming
• Hygiene is a highly personal matter determined by individual and cultural values and practices
• Hygiene involves care of

  • Skin
  • Feet
  • Nails
  • Oral and nasal cavities
  • Teeth
  • Hair
  • Eyes
  • Ears
  • Perineal-genital areas
• Hygienic care


  The amount of assistance a client needs
• Types of hygienic care by when they occur

  • Early morning care
  • Morning care
  • Hour of sleep or PM care
  • As-needed (prn) care
• Skin


  • It protects underlying tissues from injury by preventing the passage of microorganisms
  • It regulates the body temperature
  • It secretes sebum, an oily substance that softens and lubricates the hair and skin, prevents the hair from becoming brittle, and decreases water loss from the skin when the external humidity is low
  • It transmits sensations through nerve receptors, which are sensitive to pain, temperature, touch, and pressure
  • It produces and absorbs vitamin D in conjunction with ultraviolet rays from the sun, which activate a vitamin D precursor present in the skin
• Skin conditions

  • Abrasion
  • Excessive dryness
  • Ammonia dermatitis (diaper rash)
  • Acne
  • Erythema
  • Hirsutism
• Self-care abilities for hygiene

  • Bathing
  • Regulating water faucets
  • Dressing and undressing
  • Grooming
  • Using the toilet
• Self-care aids required

  • Tub or shower seat
  • Hand shower
  • Nonskid surface or mat in the tub or shower
  • Hand bars on the sides of the tub
  • Raised toilet seat
• Facilities

  • Laundry facilities
  • Running water
• Mechanical barriers


  • Furniture obstructing access to the bathroom and toilet
  • Doorway too narrow for a wheelchair
• Caregiver considerations

  • Availability
  • Skills
  • Responses
  • Ability to assist with bathing, dressing, toileting, nail care, hair shampooing, or shopping for hygienic or grooming aids
• Education needs


  • Instruction for caregiver in how to assist the client in and out of the tub, on and off the toilet, and so on
• Family role changes and coping

  • Effects of client's illness on financial status, parenting, spousal roles, sexuality, and social roles
• Soap


  Lowers surface tension and thus helps in cleaning. Some soaps contain antibacterial agents, which can change the natural flora of the skin.
• Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG)


  A disposable cloth saturated with 2% CHG and skin-moisturizing substances. An advantage is continued antimicrobial activity after application. These cloths are often used in critical-care settings.
• Bath oil


  Used in bathwater; provides an oily film on the skin that softens and prevents chapping. Oils can make the tub surface slippery, and clients should be instructed about safety measures (e.g., using a nonskid tub surface or mat).
• Skin cream, lotion


  Provides a film on the skin that prevents evaporation and therefore chapping.
• Powder


  Can be used to absorb water and prevent friction. Some powders are antibacterial.
• Deodorant


  Masks or diminishes body odors.
• Antiperspirant


  Reduces the amount of perspiration.
• Bathing


  • Removes accumulated oil, perspiration, dead skin cells, and some bacteria
  • Stimulates circulation
  • Produces a sense of well-being
  • Provides an opportunity for the nurse to assess clients and establish trust
• Types of cleansing baths

  • Complete bed bath
  • Self-help (assisted) bed bath
  • Partial bath
  • Bag bath
  • Towel bath
  • Tub bath
  • Shower
• Water temperature for bath

  43°C to 46°C (110°F to 115°F)
• Therapeutic baths

  • Sitz bath
  • Medicated bath
• Feet


  • Essential for ambulation
  • Contain 26 bones, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles that function together for both standing and walking
• Foot conditions

  • Callus
  • Corn
  • Unpleasant odors
  • Plantar warts
  • Fissures
  • Athlete's foot
  • Ingrown toenail
• Tooth


  Has three parts: the crown, the root, and the pulp cavity
• Preventive measures for foot care

  • Keeping the feet well ventilated
  • Drying the feet well after bathing
  • Wearing clean socks or stockings
  • Not going barefoot in public showers
• Ingrown toenail


  The growing inward of the nail into the soft tissues around it
• Treatment of ingrown toenail

  1. Frequent, hot antiseptic soaks

  2. Surgical removal of the portion of nail embedded in the skin
• Preventing recurrence of ingrown toenail involves appropriate instruction and adherence to proper nail-trimming techniques
• Parts of a tooth

  • Crown
  • Root
  • Pulp cavity
• Crown


  Exposed part of the tooth, outside the gum, covered with enamel
• Dentin


  Ivory-colored internal part of the crown below the enamel
• Root


  Embedded in the jaw and covered by cementum
• Pulp cavity


  Contains the blood vessels and nerves
• Teeth usually appear 5 to 8 months after birth
• The carbohydrates in the solution cause demineralization of the tooth enamel, which leads to tooth decay