Pressure Ulcers (Decubitus Ulcers)

If we are in poor health and/or unable to adjust our body position, continuous pressure on a given area of our body can cause a stage one pressure ulcer to develop within as little as two hours. This is why an individual that is immobile in a hospital is repositioned approximately every two hours to help prevent an ulcer from starting. Pressure ulcers are classified in four stages, from stage one (red area on skin) to stage four (a large open wound).
Once developed, a pressure wound, like any wound, must heal from the inside, out. The healing process is often lengthy and extremely costly requiring extra nursing time, as well as specialty medications and dressings, and possibly even surgery. The cost of pressure ulcers to the North American healthcare system exceeds $1 billion per year. The average cost of healing a single pressure ulcer can range from $15,000 - $40,000. One of the main considerations in healing a wound is that the patient must avoid any further pressure to the area. This usually necessitates the use of specialty “pressure relief” surfaces.
Traditionally, there have been three types of surfaces utilized in hospitals to improve patient comfort related to pressure, and to assist in the prevention & healing of pressure ulcers. “Comfort” surfaces include such things as sheep skin overlays, egg crate (convoluted foam) overlays, and the like. These surfaces may improve patient comfort somewhat, but offer no true therapeutic value or preventative measure against pressure ulcers.
“Pressure reducing” surfaces such as air, water, and gel may offer some therapeutic and preventative value by reducing the level of pressure experienced by the individual, thereby helping the low risk patient from developing a pressure sore. However, only “pressure relieving” mattresses or beds have the unique ability to keep the pressure on the skin below 32mmhg throughout the entire surface of the body, thus allowing the prevention, and healing of pressure ulcers in the medium to high risk patient. True pressure relieving surfaces offer therapeutic value that is measurable across a variety of patients, under a variety of conditions.