The Innovation of Invented Gel Pad for Use in Health Promotion and Nursing Therapeutic

Abstract

This study is laboratory experiment which aimed to invent an effective gel pad which is effectively equivalent to the standard gel pad with low production cost and can be made available by health services. The research instruments included synthetic polymer fibers and water, the equipment for invention, for the temperature test, for compress making, and for the comparison of properties, the record of the gel pad’s temperature, and the record of the temperature of the tissue. The study and the data collection were conducted from May to September, 2014. The processes of the study included: 1) the literature reviews on searching for the properties and safety materials to invent gel pad, 2) testing on the elements and proportions of appropriate materials to invent gel pad, 3) testing on performance method for preparing gel pad, 4) testing on temperature reserve and confinement period between the invented gel pad and the standard gel pad, 5) testing on the performance of the gel pad when doing warm compress on the tissues of two female volunteers and 6) experimenting for the effectiveness on the gel pad when doing warm compress. The data were analyzed by frequency and mean.

The results of the study revealed that the invented gel pad can be made from synthetic polymer fibers in finished diapers baby by mixing 60 ml. of pure water into 1 gram of synthetic polymer. The preparation of the gel pad can be done by soaking gel pad in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. The suitable gel pad for use was 3-4 grams. It was found that the invented gel pad was effectively equivalent in reserving temperature to the standard gel pad. The invented gel pad compress of 4 grams was suitable for warm compress. It did not cause irritation to the tissues. It was also found that the invented gel pad can be used 9 times, with an average cost of 13 satang each time.

According to this study, it is recommended that the health services can use the invented gel pad in health promotion and nursing therapeutic without the constraint of budget.