Female doctor in scrubs holding the hand of a female patient affected by MASD.

The power to help prevent and manage MASD is within your reach.

See the impact of Moisture-Associated Skin Damage (MASD). Get recommendations to help manage patient skin.

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What is Moisture-Associated Skin Damage (MASD)?

Maintaining skin integrity is vital for patient care, as skin is the body's first line of defense against the invasion of microorganisms and numerous environmental threats.

Learn how 3M puts skin at the centre of care.

Moisture-Associated Skin Damage (MASD) is a complex and common condition that can create negative patient experiences and increase the cost of care.¹

MASD is caused by prolonged exposure to moisture including, but not limited to, wound exudate, perspiration, urine and stool and saliva. This continued exposure can result in multiple conditions of MASD: incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD), intertriginous dermatitis, periwound moisture associated dermatitis and peristomal moisture associated dermatitis.

Individuals with MASD experience persistent symptoms that affect quality of life, including pain, burning and pruritis.^2,3

IAD prevalence is as high as 45.7%.⁴
IAD patients are 5.1 times more likely to develop a Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury.⁴
Patients with peristomal skin complications are 55.7% more likely to be readmitted to a hospital.⁵
Interdigital intertrigo can lead to severe osteomyelitis causing pain so severe that the patient is unable to ambulate.⁶

Four Categories of MASD

Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD)

IAD involves damage resulting from stool or urine associated with incontinence.
Intertriginous dermatitis (ITD), Intertrigo

Intertriginous dermatitis (also known as intertrigo) is a clinical inflammatory condition that develops in opposing skin surfaces in response to friction, humidity, and reduced air circulation – i.e., inflammation resulting from bodily fluids trapped in skin folds subjected to friction.
Peristomal moisture-associated dermatitis

Peristomal dermatitis refers to skin damage where there is a clear interaction between the skin and the stoma effluent/fluids. This results in inflammation or erosion of the skin due to moisture from fecal, urinary, and chemical irritants beginning at the mucocutaneous junction, which can then spread outwards to affect the surrounding skin.
Periwound maceration

Periwound maceration can occur when exudate overwhelms existing dressings or when adhesive dressings are repeatedly applied and removed.

Diagnose MASD accurately.

Identifying the etiology is the first crucial step in managing moist skin. This reference tool can help you quickly diagnose, accurately chart, and manage MASD. Fewer charting errors can help you provide accurate and effective care for your patients and help lower the overall cost of care.

View a cheat sheet (PDF, 458 KB)

Solutions to effectively manage MASD.

3M™ Cavilon™ Advanced Skin Protectant is designed to help manage moderate to severe skin damage and protect at-risk skin. The ultra-thin yet highly durable barrier is able to attach to wet, weepy surfaces and create a protective environment that repels irritants and supports healing.
- Attaches to wet, weepy damaged skin⁷
- Single-use applicator reduces the potential for cross-contamination
- Provides an effective barrier, which has been shown to reduce the pain of managing IAD⁷
- Lasts up to 7 days⁸
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References

Brennan MR, Milne CT, Agrell-Kann M, Ekholm BP. Clinical Evaluation of a Skin Protectant for the Management of Incontinence Associated Dermatitis: An Open-Label, Nonrandomized, Prospective Study. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs. (2017); 44(2):172-180. doi:10.1097/WON.0000000000000307
Gray M, Black JM, Baharestani MM et al. (2011). Moisture-associated skin damage: overview and pathophysiology. J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs 38(3): 233-41
Woo KY, Beeckman D, Chakravarthy D. (2017). Managementof moisture-associated skin damage: A scoping review. Adv Skin Wound Care 30(11): 494-501
Kayser, S. A., Koloms, K., Murray, A., Khawar, W., & Gray, M. (2021). Incontinence and Incontinence-Associated Dermatitis in Acute Care: A Retrospective Analysis of Total Cost of Care and Patient Outcomes From the Premier Healthcare Database. Journal of wound, ostomy, and continence nursing: official publication of The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society, 48(6), 545–552. https://doi.org/10.1097/WON.0000000000000818
Taneja, C., Netsch, D., Rolstad, B. S., Inglese, G., Eaves, D., & Oster, G. (2019). Risk and Economic Burden of Peristomal Skin Complications Following Ostomy Surgery. Journal of wound, ostomy, and continence nursing: official publication of The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society, 46(2), 143–149. https://doi.org/10.1097/WON.0000000000000509
MONICA G. KALRA, DO, Methodist Health System of Dallas, Dallas, Texas; KIM E. HIGGINS, DO, Physician Senior Services, Dallas, Texas; BRUCE S. KINNEY, DO, Methodist Health System of Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Am Fam Physician. 2014 Apr 1;89(7):569-573.
Brennan, Mary R.; Milne, Catherine T.; Agrell-Kann, Marie; Ekholm, Bruce P. Clinical Evaluation of a Skin Protectant for the Management of Incontinence Associated Dermatitis: An Open-Label, Nonrandomized, Prospective Study. J of Wound, Ostomy & Continence Nursing. (2017). 44(2):172-180.
3M data on file. EM-05-01 3924.