Transepidermal water loss
Encyclopedia
Transepidermal Water Loss (TWL) or (TEWL) is a term associated with dermatology
and connected sciences.
It is defined as the measurement of the quantity of water that passes from inside a body (animal or plant) through the epidermal layer (skin) to the surrounding atmosphere via diffusion
and evaporation
processes.
Transepidermal water loss in mammals is also known as "insensible water loss" as it is a process over which organisms have little physiological control.
Measurements of TWL may be useful for identifying skin damage caused by certain chemicals, physical insult (such as "tape stripping") or pathological conditions such as eczema, as rates of TWL increase in proportion to the level of damage. However, TWL is also affected by environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, the time of year (season variation) and the moisture content of the skin (hydration level). Therefore, care must be taken when interpreting the meaning of TWL rates.
TEWL is of major concern in public health, considering the relatively high rate of burn incidence among communities in the developing world due to poor quality cooking stoves . Resources for burn care in local clinics are often scarce and depending on the affected surface area, TEWL is a major issue that can be overlooked. Furthermore, TEWL is also affected by variations in sweat gland activity, temperature, and metabolism. Therefore trans-epidermal water loss becomes a significant factor in dehydration associated with several major disease states.
Dermatology
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases, a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails....
and connected sciences.
It is defined as the measurement of the quantity of water that passes from inside a body (animal or plant) through the epidermal layer (skin) to the surrounding atmosphere via diffusion
Diffusion
Molecular diffusion, often called simply diffusion, is the thermal motion of all particles at temperatures above absolute zero. The rate of this movement is a function of temperature, viscosity of the fluid and the size of the particles...
and evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
processes.
Transepidermal water loss in mammals is also known as "insensible water loss" as it is a process over which organisms have little physiological control.
Measurements of TWL may be useful for identifying skin damage caused by certain chemicals, physical insult (such as "tape stripping") or pathological conditions such as eczema, as rates of TWL increase in proportion to the level of damage. However, TWL is also affected by environmental factors such as humidity, temperature, the time of year (season variation) and the moisture content of the skin (hydration level). Therefore, care must be taken when interpreting the meaning of TWL rates.
Physiological and Public Health Implications of TEWL
From a clinical standpoint, TEWL measurements (the rate at which water vapor is lost from the body through the skin) are of great importance in evaluating barrier functionality. Often normal rates of TEWL are compromised due to injury, infection and/or severe damage as in the case of burns. Damage to the stratum corneum and superficial skin layers not only results in physical vulnerability, but also results in an excess rate of water loss. Therefore, dehydration, metabolic acidosis, and conditions such as anhydremia or concentration of the blood are often critical issues for healthcare providers to consider in the treatment of burn patients ,.TEWL is of major concern in public health, considering the relatively high rate of burn incidence among communities in the developing world due to poor quality cooking stoves . Resources for burn care in local clinics are often scarce and depending on the affected surface area, TEWL is a major issue that can be overlooked. Furthermore, TEWL is also affected by variations in sweat gland activity, temperature, and metabolism. Therefore trans-epidermal water loss becomes a significant factor in dehydration associated with several major disease states.
Acronym confusion
There is at present some confusion over the correct acronym for Transepidermal Water Loss, with some references using TWL others using TEWL. It is thought that TEWL is often used to avoid confusion with the term 'Total Water Loss' commonly used in some disciplines.External links
- www.tewl.wikia.com - a Wiki with original research and technical detail on TransEpidermal Water Loss.