by Sharon Maris, Director Global Medical Affairs for Pressure Ulcer Prevention   Pressure ulcer prevention interventions are key to reducing the risk of developing painful, resource intensive and costly pressure ulcers.

When we get a small wound, we often praise our blood’s ability to clot to protect the wound and prevent further blood loss. However, when blood starts to clot in the wrong place at the wrong time, the consequences can be life-changing, even fatal. Every year, blood clots in the deep veins cause extensive suffering for millions of people. In this article we’re taking an in-depth look at blood clots, their causes and how the Flowtron Active Compression System can help prevent the condition.

The term single-handed care simply refers to a means of safely transferring an individual with the correct equipment and appropriate number of carergivers. In some care environments, there have long been ‘informal working practices’ automatically requiring the need for two caregivers when assisting with patient handling activities. However, in recent years there has been a definite shift towards the provision of single-handed care, especially within long-term care settings.¹

Routine care tasks should not put caregivers at risk. Caregivers perform transfer, repositioning and hygiene tasks many times throughout the day. If these essential care tasks are not performed with the right equipment, care processes and skills, they can put caregivers at risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and injury. It is recommended to use of the right mechanical assistive aids that can improve caregiver safety and reduce the high costs related to caregiver injury.¹ “Mechanical lifts reduce the back-compressive forces on nursing personnel by an estimated 60%”²

The International Standards for manual handling of people in the healthcare sector discuss various methods of assessment1. The most essential transfers take place multiple times throughout the daily journey. Risk assessment helps to identify the most appropriate transfer and equipment for the situation and activity to be carried out. This helps promote functional mobility and reduce the risk of caregiver injury.

Using slide sheet devices for in-bed movements has benefits not only for safety, but also for the patients’ comfort, security and dignity¹. The risks of moving the full body weight of a dependent patient are well recognised. For horizontal transfers and many in-bed movements, the provision of a friction-reducing slide sheet may be a sound solution for reducing physical effort and improving patient comfort.¹,²

Patient handling injuries can be costly not only for the caregiver but also for the organisation. The financial impact is associated with injury investigation and potential claim management, temporarily replacing an injured caregiver and litigation/settlement costs. This article aims to evaluate the cost of caregiver injury and patient immobility in healthcare environments and identify potential solutions to mitigate these costs. Patient immobility can have a serious financial impact on the organisation and caregiver injury can result in fewer staff resources and reduced working efficiencies. “The use of the right mechanical assistive aids improves caregiver safety and reduces injury related costs for the organisation”¹

What is the space needed around the bed to make it easier to get in and out, to maneuver equipment, and for the caregiver to support residents when they need it with less risk of injury? We understand that planning a facility around the needs of residents and to promote the ability of staff to care for them in a safe and effective way is imperative. And the earlier it's done the more and better options you'll have and potentially lower overall costs significantly.

A mattress cover should support the prevention of cross-contamination – without compromising the performance of the support surface.

Empowering movement is fundamental to any patient rehabilitation programme and is a core principle in the prevention of pressure injury development. With the impact of the current pandemic, the focus on mobilising and rehabilitating patients earlier and often throughout the day has never been higher.

Healthcare settings face the challenge of managing an effective Infection Control protocol on a daily basis. Ensuring the safety of patients and staff at all times, in a range of different settings requires a robust process, where care and treatment can be delivered without the risk of infection due to poor hygiene standards.

Reduced mobility is a significant risk factor for pressure injury development, international guidelines emphasise the need for regular turning and repositioning of patients to help prevent skin damage¹. While a pressure redistribution mattress may enable the repositioning regimen to be individualised, regular postural change is still important but not without risk to the patient or caregiver.

According to a 2016 report by the WHO, globally there are 650 million people that are obese accounting for approx. 13% of the world’s adult population¹.

The International Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management Guidelines discuss how managing microclimate can provide an environment conducive to injury prevention and tissue repair. As such the guidelines recommend the need for additional features such as the ability to control moisture and temperature when selecting a support surface.