EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Technical Assistance Pressure relief mattresses comparisons

Hi Guys

We have quite a large number of alternating pressure air mattresses and their pumps. The Tissue Viability Nurse bought a fair few less than two years ago.

However, apparently now she is telling wards that the memory foam mattresses are way better at reducing the chances of pressure sores than the air pressure relief mattresses.

Has anyone else heard this claim? Is there any independent (as opposed to sales waffle) information out there comparing the two?

It would definitely be cheaper and easier if the foam mattresses were better, because the mattress pumps for the air pressure relief systems seem to take quite heavy use.

Seems a bit of a waste, though, to have bought so many and then be rejecting them only two years down the line.

Hello Claire,

If i remember correctly the problem with the memory foam style mattresses was with getting patients off of the mattress.

Over time the patient would sink into the mattress and it would form around them making it difficult to slide them across the mattress and difficult to get under them with any lifting aids.



However if you are looking to give any Nimbus 3s away to another caring NHS Trust then those memory foam mattresses are the best thing since sliced bread.

Lee

Do patients stay in long enough to get bed sores these days, then?

Apparently, memory foam mattresses don't sit too well on the Huntleigh Enterprise beds - the foam goes through the slats.

Cheers

Mark

Geoff
Apparently non-ambulatory patients stay in bed for quite long periods of times.

Hi Guys

Some of the elderly patients are so thin that they do not have to be particularly immobile to get really nasty bruising and pressure sores. Even if they can get into the bedside chair during the day, they are not walking far, fast, or very often.

Overweight patients are less mobile so the risk is no less, even though they have more padding!

The ward that mentioned the problem is for ladies who have had Orthopaedic Surgery, and many of them have had hip replacements. They are necessarily going to be stuck in bed for quite a while, even if they have a physio assessment every morning.