Preliminary Study on the Effectiveness of Different Durations of Hot Towel Application to the Back during Bed Bathing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the most effective duration of hot towel application during bed bathing, based on temporal changes in skin surface temperature, towel temperature, and subjective comfort. As a secondary objective, differences in skin surface temperature and subjective comfort for hot towel application on the back and dry towel wiping alone were evaluated. For the first objective, hot towels were applied on the lower back of 20 healthy adults, for different duration (10, 15, and 20 s), with a 10-s duration found to be the most effective. For the second objective, we compared bed bathing with hot towel application to dry wiping alone, n 21 healthy adult participants. A 10-s hot towel application increased the surface temperature of the skin (+0.5℃) and provided a perceived sensation of warmth and comfort. In contrast, dry wiping significantly decreased the surface skin temperature (-0.8℃). In conclusion, hot towel application increased skin surface temperature and improved subjective warmth and comfort during bed bathing.