TY - JOUR
T1 - Pressure sores and pressure-decreasing mattresses
T2 - controlled clinical trial
AU - Hofman, A.
AU - Geelkerken, R. H.
AU - Wille, J.
AU - Hamming, J. J.
AU - Breslau, P. J.
AU - Hermans, J.
PY - 1994/3/5
Y1 - 1994/3/5
N2 - Pressure sores are a problem, especially in elderly patients. Our study was designed to determine the effectiveness in pressure-sore prevention of a new interface-pressure decreasing mattress. In a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial we tested the Comfortex DeCube mattress (Comfortex, Winona, USA) against our standard hospital mattress in 44 patients with femoral-neck fracture and concomitant high pressure-sore risk score. In addition both groups were treated according to the Dutch consensus protocol for the prevention of pressure sores. On admission and 1 and 2 weeks after admission, pressure sores were graded. The two groups were similar in patient characteristics and pressure-sore risk factors. At 1 week, 25% of the patients nursed on the DeCube mattress and 64% of the patients nursed on the standard mattress had clinically relevant pressure sores (grade 2 or more). At 2 weeks the figures were 24% and 68%, respectively. The maximum score over the several body regions of the pressure-sore grading, measured on a 5-point scale, was significantly different in favour of the DeCube mattress at 1 week (p=0·0043) and 2 weeks (p=0·0067) postoperatively. We show that the occurrence of pressure sores and their severity can be significantly reduced when patients at risk are nursed on an interface-pressure decreasing mattress.
AB - Pressure sores are a problem, especially in elderly patients. Our study was designed to determine the effectiveness in pressure-sore prevention of a new interface-pressure decreasing mattress. In a prospective randomised controlled clinical trial we tested the Comfortex DeCube mattress (Comfortex, Winona, USA) against our standard hospital mattress in 44 patients with femoral-neck fracture and concomitant high pressure-sore risk score. In addition both groups were treated according to the Dutch consensus protocol for the prevention of pressure sores. On admission and 1 and 2 weeks after admission, pressure sores were graded. The two groups were similar in patient characteristics and pressure-sore risk factors. At 1 week, 25% of the patients nursed on the DeCube mattress and 64% of the patients nursed on the standard mattress had clinically relevant pressure sores (grade 2 or more). At 2 weeks the figures were 24% and 68%, respectively. The maximum score over the several body regions of the pressure-sore grading, measured on a 5-point scale, was significantly different in favour of the DeCube mattress at 1 week (p=0·0043) and 2 weeks (p=0·0067) postoperatively. We show that the occurrence of pressure sores and their severity can be significantly reduced when patients at risk are nursed on an interface-pressure decreasing mattress.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028085050&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0140-6736(94)91521-0
DO - 10.1016/S0140-6736(94)91521-0
M3 - Article
C2 - 7906329
AN - SCOPUS:0028085050
VL - 343
SP - 568
EP - 571
JO - The Lancet
JF - The Lancet
SN - 0140-6736
IS - 8897
ER -