CMS to Put Pressure on Providers for Decubitus Ulcer Prevention

The importance of the surface in preventing and treating pressure ulcers is dependant upon the circumstances, says Samantha Baron, a new product development engineer for Allen Medical Systems.

A good surface will help distribute pressure over a larger area, which results in lower overall pressures. The best method, however, is to periodically turn the patient, Baron says. That method works fine in most arenas, but not in the operating room (OR), where a patient is on a narrow table, is confined by sterile drapes, and is surrounded by materials that can’t or shouldn’t be moved.

“Turning a patient to relieve pressure would entail the staff blindly grasping at undefined features under the drape and trying not to roll the patient off of the OR table all together,” Baron says. “Aside from this, there is the possibility of tangling the many tubes protruding from the patient and compromising the sterile field. This all makes turning a patient during surgery an impossibility.”

In the OR, surface is the most important factor, but there are limitations to the available options.

“Low air loss, alternating pressure, and fluidized surfaces all show clinical advantage over static, non-powered foam surfaces, however they are not stable,” Baron says. “The surgical surface must be stable to ensure that the location the surgeon intends to cut is indeed the location that his cut is made. Multi-layered foam pads are currently the only technology that aids in preventing pressure ulcers while also meeting the requirements for stability, durability, and disinfection.”