The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that more than one in ten patients develop a pressure injury. This is why many consider pressure injury prevention an uphill battle. But thanks to innovations in healthcare, caregivers on the frontline have a growing pool of treatments and technology at their disposal. But which of these options best fit your needs?
Here’s a closer look at how an alternating air mattress can help prevent and treat pressure injuries, improve your patient outcomes, and result in significant savings for your healthcare institution.
How alternating air mattresses work
Patients at a higher risk of developing pressure injuries need more support than an ordinary hospital mattress and regular turning can provide. This is where an alternating air mattress steps in. They’re designed to allow for airflow that wicks away moisture, and a continuous motion that gently repositions patients. This helps caregivers reduce pressure injury rates by:
- Reducing the pressure on tissue loads
- Controlling microclimates
- Reducing shear forces
- Protecting the skin against friction
- Immersion and envelopment
Related: See our resource on pressure injury prevention & treatment in healthcare facilities.
What to look for when purchasing an alternating air mattress
With so many options on the market, you may feel hard pressed when choosing which air mattress would best suit your circumstances. Here are three critical questions to consider when choosing the right support for patients:
- How was the product developed? Was the therapeutic support surface developed with both patients and caregivers in mind? While the solution is focused on preventing and treating pressure injuries, it’s important that it doesn’t get in the way of other treatment modalities, or cause avoidable strain to caregivers in the process.
- What are the product specifications? Get as much information as possible on the product before purchase. A product evaluation is a great way to see how the care and application of this particular support surface slots into your unique healthcare context. Check things like its size, weight, and how easy it is to clean and program.
- Is there a guarantee? Check up on supplier warranties and their customer service plans. After all, someone who helps you onboard their product does more than take a weight off of your shoulders — they help ensure your caregivers stand the best chance at successfully preventing and treating pressure injuries.
You can read more about purchase considerations on our resource page, Everything You Need to Know About Pressure Injury Prevention & Treatment in Hospitals.
Reducing the cost of pressure injuries to your healthcare organization
The AirisanaTM therapeutic support surface with the help of healthcare professionals. Consulting those who work on the frontlines ensures that this alternating air mattress does more than prevent pressure injuries from forming — it takes the patient, and their holistic care into account.
AirisanaTM puts control back into the hands of nurses and clinicians. Each easy-to-use unit offers five therapies in one device: pressure redistribution, randomized alternating pressure, low air loss, immersion/envelopment, and lateral rotation. Along with focused airflow that matches the patient’s mass distribution, patients now enjoy targeted support that’s programmed to reduce acclimatization and not overly-dry healthy skin.
Turn-assist capabilities reduce friction and shear risk, and the risk of staff injury. Top-of-the-line therapy combines with ease-of-use to ensure Airisana™ improves patient outcomes while lessening the burden on nurses and clinicians. With an easy-to-clean Dartex micromanagement cover, and intuitive touchpad user control, it’s quick to deploy — saving time and eliminating the need for excessive training.
Learn more about how this therapeutic support surface is changing the face of pressure injury treatment on the AirisanaTM product page. Or, contact us directly and click the button below to request a product evaluation to see the Airisana in action at your own institution.
