What is the Incidence of Pressure Ulcer Category II-IV (Including Deep-tissue Injury and Unstageable) on a Static Air Foam Hybrid Mattress?

Pressure ulcers are a serious and common problem for residents admitted to long-term care facilities and community care patients. They represent a major burden to patients, carers and the healthcare system, affecting approximately 1 in 20 community patients. They occur frequently among patients with limited mobility, such as those patients being bed-bound and/or wheelchair-bound. In many countries, pressure ulcers are recognized as a national health issue and governments designate pressure ulcers as one of the most important sentinel events for healthcare. International guidelines recommend the use of pressure redistributing support surfaces, systematic patient repositioning and preventive skin care to prevent pressure ulcers. All interventions should be patient-tailored and based on a thorough assessment of both the patient and contextual risk factors. As pressure ulcers can arise in a number of ways, interventions for prevention and treatment need to be applied across a wide range of settings, including the community, nursing homes and hospitals. A review of mortality and severe harm incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System found that pressure ulcers were the largest proportion of patient safety incidents in 2011/2012, accounting for 19% of all reports. It has been acknowledged that a significant proportion of pressure ulcers are avoidable. The prevalence of pressure ulcers is 1 of the 4 common harms recorded in the UK NHS Safety Thermometer, a local improvement tool for measuring, monitoring and analysing patient harms across a range of settings, including nursing homes, community nursing and hospitals on a monthly basis. Continuous low levels or short-term high levels of pressure and shear on the skin and underlying tissue on vulnerable areas are extrinsic factors contributing to the development of pressure ulcers. Support surfaces (e.g. any mattresses, integrated bed systems, mattress replacement, overlay, seat cushion, or seat cushi