Patient Turning Mattress for Bedsore Prevention

Bedsores are becoming more and more common among patients who lack mobility. Also known as pressure ulcers, bedsores are generally an injury that’s caused through unrelieved pressure. This pressure damages the skin along with its underlying tissue by exerting pressure on the blood vessels, blocking the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the skin. Bedsores lead to longer durations in nursing homes or the hospital and slower healing thus increasing the overall cost of care along with decreasing its quality.

To help patients deal with their lack of mobility and aid bedsore prevention, a good turning mattress could provide a solution. These mattresses are specifically designed for reducing pressure on patients who are non-ambulatory.

SpanAmerica PressureGuard Turn Select Mattress

This bedsore prevention mattress from Span America provides lateral rotation all throughout the day, leading to easy customization. This means that caregivers can choose from roll angles ranging from 5 to 30 degrees with any combination roll patterns of right, center and left. Also, the dwell times range from 1.5 to 120 minutes within any angle or position.

The SpanAmerica PressureGuard Select Mattress helps treat pressure ulcers by gently, quietly and slowly repositioning the patient. With a weight limit of 350 lbs, this turning mattress is functional for most individuals.

Also, the SpanAmerica PressureGuard Select Mattress does not deflate when there’s a power outage. These mattresses include an alternating pressure mode which means that the level of pressure can vary in accordance to the patient’s needs. This bedsore prevention mattress provides the patient with much needed safety, stability and moisture removal. The motion system of this mattress is controlled by a microprocessor which is included directly into the surface, eliminating the need for any external air lines or a bulky pump to deal with.

SpanAmerica PressureGuard APM Mattress

The SpanAmerica PressureGuard APM Mattress is unique, because it doesn’t excessively use pressure gradients among deflated and inflated cylinders. Also, the anti-shearing Geo-Matt surface allows maximum bedsore prevention, leading to comfortable healing and a balanced air system.

This mattress can easily smooth and absorb sharp drop-offs in pressure. The SpanAmerica PressureGuard APM Mattress includes a special heel slope taper along with a bolster system of two parts for additional comfort and stability during transferring or sitting.

Choosing the right type of turning mattress for your patient can play a huge part in determining their overall health.

Resources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/007071.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bedsores/DS00570

Mattresses to Prevent Bed Sores

When a person is bedridden for an undefined period of time due to some ailment, their body can become prone to many other afflictions besides the current one. The human body was made for running, jumping, standing and other activities. Being immobile for such a long period can cause the body to experience pressure from the weight of the bones and lead to the development of pressure sores or bed sores.

For someone who is unable to get up and exercise, even for a minimum amount of time, the chances of developing bedsores greatly increases because of the amount of pressure being exerted over soft tissue in places such as the heels, the knees, the elbows, the ribcage, the thighs,  the toes, the hips and the tailbone. Pressure on these areas causes the blood supply to be completely or partially cut off causing the tissue to die. If pressure is still exerted on the same spot, the skin will eventually become thinner and thinner until it breaks, often causing an open wound.

Such bedsores are painful and cause the patient considerable pain since they often have to lie or sit on them. With the wound being open, bedsores cause the patient to be susceptible to infections which can lead to the patient suffering from blood poisoning because of germs.

Although bedsores are treatable, they can be very painful for the patients, so it is best to practice methods that can reduce the chances of developing bedsores. One way that the risk can be lowered is by redistributing the weight of the patient with the help of special mattresses. They are usually made of special moldable foam or gel which encompasses the patient’s body in such a way as to properly distribute their weight over the surface.

With the help of the special mattresses coupled with vigilant exercise, bedsores can be kept at bay from the patient. However, the usage of special mattresses as such can only reduce the risk of a patient developing bedsores; it does not mean that the risk has been eliminated.