Comparison of a cyanoacrylate liquid skin protectant to skin closure strips for the treatment of injury-related Type I skin tears in elderly patients

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Background A skin tear is a defined as a wound caused by shear, friction or the result of blunt force. Injury-related Type 1 skin tears are more frequent in elderly patients, due to their more fragile and vulnerable skin. Aim We compared a cyanoacrylate liquid skin protectant (CLSP) to skin closure strips (SCS) for Type 1 skin tear closure and healing in 14 elderly patients. Methods Eight patients received CLSP alone, three patients received SCS alone and three others received SCS followed by CLSP. Results For the eight patients treated with CLSP alone, the skin tear flaps annealed almost immediately and were completely closed within 1–3 days. All skin tears were healed within 1–2 weeks of CLSP application. By contrast, for the three cases that were treated with SCS alone, the skin tears remained open for as long as 10 days and required 3–4 weeks to heal. This resulted in prolonged bleeding, delayed skin tear wound healing, re-opening of the skin tear, additional homecare nursing and dressing care. The three patients treated first with SCS followed by CLSP experienced a delay in wound healing; however, when the SCS were removed and CLSP was applied at 1–3 days, wound healing still occurred within 1–2 weeks of the CLSP application. Conclusions A CLSP alone is an effective treatment for injury-related Type I skin tears in elderly patients. Implications for clinical practice The use of CLSP decreased the time and costs required for skin tear wound care and reduced the time to wound healing.

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