The nursing assessment of a patient should include an assessment of the risk of developing pressure ulcers. This is necessary to ensure that we target our expensive equipment resources appropriately, towards those who are at risk.
The assessment strategy used for pressure ulcer risk assessment is clinical judgement with reference to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) ‘The Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers’ (September 2005).
When selecting equipment there are many factors to be considered and these cannot be simplified in a formula. There is also little or no evidence that links risk levels from risk assessment tools with the types of equipment (Maylor 2001). Companies marketing products often link them to a risk level. This leads to a false sense of security that the ‘better’ the product the less likelihood of pressure ulcer development regardless of condition of the patient, their behaviour or circumstances.
For this reason equipment has been separated into
- Pressure reducing cushions / mattresses
- Pressure relieving cushions / mattresses
- Low air loss equipment.
Pressure relieving equipment is made as either an overlay, replacement mattress or as a cushion and are electrically operated. This type of equipment consists of a series of air sacs or cells which inflate and deflate in a series of two or three phase timed cycles, each of which include a period of low or zero interface pressure.
Low air loss mattresses are electrically operated and comprise of a series of air sacs in which the air is constantly lost and replaced; this process enables them to contour around the patient and as such are classified as pressure reduction.
For further guidance on the actual selection of equipment please contact the Nurse Advisor as the information provided is only to show what is available rather than to allow professionals to independently decide.