Use of Pressure Mattresses to Treat Pressure Ulcers

Running head: USE OF PRESSURE MATTRESSES TO TREAT PRESSURE ULCERS
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Use of Pressure Mattresses to Treat Pressure Ulcers
Student’s Name
University

USE OF PRESSURE MATTRESSES TO TREAT PRESSURE ULCERS 2
Use of Pressure Mattresses to Treat Pressure Ulcers
Introduction
Pressure ulcers are sores that develop on the skin and its underlying tissue due to
prolonged pressure on the skin. This means that people who are confined in bed or wheelchairs
for long periods of time. This means that any part of the body that is under pressure can be
affected. This calls for the need to use different devices to reduce the pressure and treat the
affected areas.
Problem=pressure ulcer patients
Intervention= use pressure relieving mattress
Comparison= effectiveness of pressure mattress in relieving pressure ulcer
Outcome= the use of pressure mattress to prevent and treat pressure ulcers
Task one: overview of pressure ulcer and pressure mattresses
Pressure sores or ulcers are areas that have been subjected to pressure thus leading to the
damage of the skin tissue. In most cases, these are vulnerable parts of the body that are affected
by blood circulation thus making the area to decay. This means that each patient presents
different pressure ulcers which are largely grouped into four categories: erythema of intact skin
that does not blanch when pressured; partial thickness skin loss; decubitus ulcers seen in full
thickness skin loss and full thickness skin loss with extensive destruction, or tissue necrosis
(Serrae, Leen, Schols, Hecke, & Verhaeghe, 2017). There are many factors that cause pressure
ulcers but four common ones are friction, shearing forces, pressure and the force exerted on a
uniform surface by the body. According to Reuler, Cooney, & Portland (2016), experimental
research that has been on the pressure gradient that causes the ulcers how that in the skin
capillary anterior, the limb pressure is 32mm HG, venous limb pressure is 12mm HG and

USE OF PRESSURE MATTRESSES TO TREAT PRESSURE ULCERS 3
medicapillary pressure is 20mm HG and thus the fact that the pressure is not equally distributed
when one is sleeping and only concentrate in focal areas means that somebody parts do not get
enough blood circulation which increases the pressure exerted on the surface, beyond the
biological one. this is how the pressure ulcer develops since the skin either suffers from friction,
shearing forces, pressure and the force exerted on a uniform surface by the body which leads to
the pressure ulcer.
Studies in pressure ulcer have revealed that negative intestinal fluid pressure in the body
is balanced with a positive solid tissue pressure to ensure that the total tissue pressure is zero.
This means that under normal conditions, it rear for people to remain in one position for over 25
hours thus this means that the body movements that one has led to the maintenance of the total
pressure at zero. However, when one is sick, they remain on one position for a long time thus
applying external pressure on the body, increasing intestinal pressure which in turn increases the
pressure in the venous limb which in turn increases the total tissue pressure which makes the
capillary arterial pressure to increase, leading to filtration arterial pressure, fluid filtration, edema
and autolysis (Van Leen, Hovius, Neyens, Halfens, & Schols, 2011). This how hoe the pressure
ulcer develops since the pressure gradient of the occlusion of lymphatic vessels impairs the
active contractility of the lymphatic thus leading to aerobic metabolic wastes accumulating in the
affected part thus causing tissue necrosis.
Thus to reduce this problem, Serraes & Beeckman (2016) argue that pressure mattresses
have been highly prescribed as the best option for preventing bed sores and keeping the patient
healthy. This is designed to increase comfort for the individual by providing high-level support
for different parts of the body thus ensuring that the pressure that they mount is reduced. Such
mattresses are carefully designed with air pockets that place pressure on the main pressure points

USE OF PRESSURE MATTRESSES TO TREAT PRESSURE ULCERS 4
in the body that create the sores. This means that there are different types of mattresses: static/
reactive mattresses, alternating or active mattresses, and hybrid or combination mattresses.
Static or reactive mattresses have multiple pressure relieving foams whose surface is
static thus allowing the even distribution of weight over the surface to lower pressure (Serraes &
Beeckman, 2016). Such mattresses, respond to the body shape, heat and movement of the body
making it easy for the patient to feel comfortable. Thus this mattress is more suited for ulcer
prevention rather than treatment. Thus to achieve the efficiency of the mattress, the caregiver
needs to regularly reposition and moved regularly to reduce the development of sores.
The air-flow mattress or alternating pressure mattress redistributes the pressure through a
dynamic lying surface. This type of mattress has lateral air cells that are constantly alternated to
control air-flow through a pump unit that is connected to the mattress. This pump inflates and
deflates the cells of the body. This means that when inflated, the cells provide support while
when deflated they provide relief (Misaki, et al., 2014). Since the pump alternately inflates and
deflates different areas of the mattress, it achieves the distribution of pressure on different body
parts to prevent or treat the pressure ulcer. The effectiveness of the mattress is to reduce the need
for manual repositioning which can be tiresome.
Lastly, the hybrid mattress combines the elements of static and alternating mattress
system to provide optimum pressure for the user (Jiang, Li, & Zhang, 2014). This means that the
mattress maintains a high level of comfort while at the same time increasing the efficiency that
the patient derives from the mattress.
Task two: article review
Malbrain, M., Hendriks, B., Wijnands, P., Denie, D., Jans, A., Vanpellicom, J., &
Keulenaer, B. D. (2010). A pilot randomised controlled trial comparing reactive air and