Medical Foam Mattresses For Pressure Ulcer Prevention

Published 10th July 2023

Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores or bed sores, are a serious problem in all healthcare settings. From hospitals to care homes, pressure ulcers can affect a wide range of patients, especially the elderly, the less mobile and those who have a compromised immune system.

But what exactly are pressure ulcers, why are they a problem, and how can Redwood medical foam mattresses and anti-bacterial fabrics help in their prevention and treatment?

What are pressure ulcers?

A pressure ulcer occurs when the skin is placed under sustained or unusual pressure, usually due to the patient being immobilised in a hospital or care home bed. They tend to occur in areas where there is little natural ‘padding’ and where the bones pass close to the skin. This includes areas like the elbows, knees and ankles, as well as around the tail bone, hips and buttocks of thinner patients.

A pressure ulcer forms because the blood supply to the skin is compromised. This means that the tissue does not get enough oxygen and its starts to die off. Reduced blood flow also stops the tissue from getting the nutrients it needs to repair itself or the white blood cells it needs to fight infection. Pressure ulcers usually occur over time, but they can form very quickly in some circumstances.

Who is vulnerable to pressure ulcers?

Pressure ulcers can affect anyone who is not able to move and readjust their body in the usual way. It is estimated that as many as half a million people in the UK will develop at least one pressure ulcer over the course of a year, and one in twenty people admitted to hospital with a sudden or serious illness will be affected.

Older people are particularly vulnerable to pressure ulcers, as their skin is thinner and more fragile, and their immune systems are not as strong.

Complications of pressure ulcers

Pressure ulcers range in severity from small patches of red, hardened skin to deep, open wounds that can expose the muscle and even the bones beneath. Pressure ulcers are graded from one to four, with grade four pressure ulcers leading to potentially life-threatening complications.

These complications include Infections, such as cellulitis and meningitis, blood poisoning and septic shock. Pressure ulcers can also cause serious bone and joint infections. Specific bacteria, which are often prevalent in hospital environments, can cause significant problems. For example, Group A streptococci can lead to necrotising fasciitis, while clostridium bacteria can cause gas gangrene.

How Redwood bespoke medical foam mattresses can prevent pressure ulcers

Here at Redwood, we have been working with the healthcare industry for decades on the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. In that time we have created a range of specialist medical foam mattresses to relieve the pressures that result in ulcers. To support these products, we’ve also developed an industry-leading range of anti-bacterial fabrics, such as our Xtreme coated infection control range.

Today, you can call on all of this vast experience and technical expertise in your battle against pressure ulcers. The Redwood team can design medical foam mattresses to your exact specifications, or even help you to set those specifications in the first place, to create products that are personalised to your setting, your patients and their medical needs.

To find out more about preventing pressure ulcers through the use of anti-bacterial coated medical foam mattresses, get in touch today. With litigation claims for hospital acquired pressure ulcers up by 600% in the last decade, and compensation costs running at more than £21 million a year for the NHS alone, medical foam mattresses can help in more ways than one.