Effect of St. John's Wort Oil on Skin Moisture in Intensive Care Patients

Effect of St. John's Wort oil on skin moisture in intensive care patients.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of St. John's wort oil application on skin moisture in intensive care patients. The study is a prospective pre-test-post-test controlled experimental research.

Research data was collected at Eskisehir City Hospital, between September 1, 2023 and March 1, 2024. Descriptive Characteristics Form, Braden Risk Assessment Scale, Moisture Meter Device and St. John's wort oil were used to collect data. In the sample size power analysis of the study, the total number of samples was found to be 138 with test power ( 1-β) 0.80, α(alpha)=0.05, effect level 0.10. The research was conducted on a total of 140 patients, 70 in the experimental group and 70 in the control group. St. John's wort oil was applied to the experimental group and routine nursing care was applied to the control group for 21 days. Independent Sample t test, ANOVA (Repeated Measures test), Mann- Whitney U test, Wilcoxon test and Pearson-χ 2 cross tables were used to evaluate the data.

Inclusion criteria

• Admission to intensive care due to internal diseases diagnosis
• The patient is immobile
• The area to be applied is determined as the Coccyx and the tissue in this area must be intact.
• No allergy to St. John's Wort oil
• No circulatory disorders in the applied area

Exclusion criteria

• Having a complicated diagnosis such as cancer
• Having any disease that has spread to the entire skin
• Having an allergy to topical medications or plant extracts
• The patient has different variations such as surgical operation and intensive care change (post-operative follow-up patient)
• The patient has a diagnosis of a skin disease such as dermatitis
• A wound in the coccyx area