Innovative technology in pressure ulcer/pressure injury care shows good effect and comfort in clinical study

Pressure relieving mattresses with a pulsating function is a Swedish innovation by the MedTech company Care of Sweden. The intention was to develop a comfortable and stable mattress with low noise levels that could be used as an aid to prevent and treat pressure ulcers/pressure injuries. The pulsating mode has been evaluated in a clinical study and showed good results in both clinical effect and comfort.

Angelica Mänd (Chief Market Officer).

The innovation that has been integrated into Care of Sweden’s mattresses is the in-house developed pulsating mode, with the purpose of meeting the challenges of existing alternating mattresses. The intention was to develop a mattress that would be perceived as more comfortable, quieter, and more stable compared to traditional alternating mattresses.

The clinical properties of the pulsating mode have been evaluated in a clinical study conducted by Professor Dimitri Beeckman at Ghent University and published in the JWOCN⁽¹⁾. The study was conducted at ten nursing homes in Belgium and showed good clinical results. Above all, the study showed that the mattresses were perceived as being both quiet and comfortable, which can lead to better sleep and fewer issues with pain.

“Healing a devastating pressure ulcer is a long and complex process with an intricate interplay of the various wound and patient characteristics. The mattress plays an important role in this process. Our study highlights the clinical potential of this innovative mattress when used as an aid in both the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. Since patients spend most of their day in bed, we are obliged to consider comfort as a fundamental criterion when selecting a bed surface. Our study confirms that comfort, stability, and noise reduction are key properties of the mattress we studied”, says Professor Dimitri Beeckman, Ghent University.

Pressure-relieving mattresses are used as an aid for patients who either have a high risk of developing pressure ulcers, or who have already developed pressure ulcers. The pulsating mode was developed by combining the benefits of constant low pressure and the traditional alternating mode. By combining the two, the pulsating mode aim to meet the two primary causes of pressure ulcers; ischemia and cell deformation.

“The pulsating mode is the result of several years of close collaboration with caregivers and researchers with the purpose of reaching out to more users who need our products. The study is a way to clinically prove that our product makes a difference, which is also a regulatory requirement. The result from the study also indicates that we take further steps towards our vision – together with caregivers eliminate pressure ulcers”, says Angelica Mänd, Chief Market Officer at Care of Sweden.

References:

1) JWOCN, Journal of Wound, Ostomy, and Contence Nursing March/April 2021