The Need for Pressure Ulcer Relief:

Pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin that often develop in bedridden / immobile patients due to prolonged pressure of certain points on the skin. Depending on the varying stages of pressure ulcers, highly susceptible patients can begin to develop these wounds in as little as two hours. Bony protuberances such as elbows, shoulders, heels, hips, etc are most commonly the first parts of the body to be affected then followed by surrounding areas. Pressure ulcers are very hard to treat for patients in this condition as no matter the positioning, they will be susceptible if immobile and exposed to pressure. Once developed, they can worsen quickly and lead to other complications with the patient such as muscle deterioration, impeded circulation, and usually infection.

Medical Staff Current Procedures:

Currently medical staff manually repositions patients as often as every two hours dependent on the patients condition. Pressure relief beds do currently exist, however are very expensive and do not target susceptible areas of the body rather they only redistribute body weight. As well as Hoyer lifts that are often limited in certain hospital units and are uncommonly used as they are often an inconvenience to the staff and their time.

Medical staff is widely understaffed at most facilities resulting in them having to handle multiple patients per shift. Especially in the ICU, there can be several bedridden patients that require frequent shifting to prevent the worsening of current ulcers and development of new pressure ulcers. At most, the staff is supposed to be lifting up to 51 pounds solely and even less if they are lifting from an awkward angle. For bariatric patients, this can require several staff tending to a singular patient multiple times while already being short handed. Due to the limited availability of assistance, fewer staff will regularly pursue moving a bariatric patient against protocol and this has lead to the number one cause medical staff of injury in the work place.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

Typically patients are moved with in certain time intervals with limited lifting support and little consideration of their other relevant clinical parameters. Allowing the opportunity to develop an innovative device to aid both medical staff and patients in recovery.