WHAT DOES MEDIUM RISK MEAN?

‘Risk’ relates to the likelihood of developing a pressure injury. You can determine the risk of your client but conducting a risk assessment – using a risk assessment tool such as the Waterlow along with qualified clinical judgment and knowledge of the client’s history and underlying condition.

On the Waterlow Risk Assessment Tool, typically clients who score up to 15 are suitable for one of the mattresses within the Medium Care Medical Mattress range.

REACTIVE SUPPORT SURFACES; PRESSURE REDISTRIBUTING STATIC FOAM

A Reactive support surface is a powered or non-powered support surface with the capability to change its load distribution properties only in response to an applied load. Reactive support surfaces may be powered (active) or nonpowered (static). In comparison to an alternating pressure relieving mattress, reactive surfaces provide a constant low-pressure profile whereby the pressure at every contact point is reduced. The patient can be immersed and enveloped by the surface which increases the area of contact with the patient’s body and the reactive support surface.

Reactive support surfaces come in many different types including:

• Foam – mattress composed of foam or layers of foam with different densities and shapes. For example, Forté Icon Medium Care Mattresses.

• Air or Gel Filled – surfaces comprise air or gel-filled compartments. For example, ROHO Integrated Systems.

• Hybrid – surface combining foam and air technology to maximise the benefits offered by both static and alternating surfaces.

• Low air loss – some air-filled support surfaces allow air to escape through small holes. The air flows along the inside of a vapour-permeable patient contact layer. This draws moisture and heat through the contact layer and away from the skin. Low air loss aids control of moisture on a patient’s skin.

• Air-fluidised – contain sand-like particles through which air is forced. As the air is forced through the particles, they take on the properties of a liquid. The porous cover allows air to escape out of the mattress and body fluids to flow down into the support surface

“Pressure redistribution is achieved by either increasing the body surface area that comes in contact with the support surface through immersion and envelopment (to reduce concentrations of weight over bony prominences) or sequentially altering the parts of the body that bear the load, thus reducing the duration of loading at any given anatomical site”. Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Injuries: Clinical Practice Guideline. The International Guideline 2019.

Select a reactive support surface for individuals who are able to reposition themselves enough to avoid weight bearing on all areas at risk for pressure ulceration and who have a stable spine.

FIRM SIDE WALLS

The Icon I3 mattress has inbuilt firm side walls constructed of an ultra-high density foam, engineered with a profile hinge system to reduce falls risk and provide enhanced stability. Side walls significantly help reduce the effort required to transition on or off sleep surface and assist with repositioning and other tasks. Therefore side walls are important for any users with limited strength.

Inbuilt strengthened sides reduce the risk of foam compression on the mattress edge, and subsequent user ‘roll-out’. Firm, rigid edging provides structural support for transfer, ingress, and egress. Forté side walls make primary care easier and suit the use of transfer and mobility aids such as slide boards.

Forté side walls have been designed with a unique integrated hinge system to reduce tension & compression in foam when used with a profiling bed. Reducing tension aids overall mattress longevity. The hinge system allows the mattress to easily articulate for the maximum benefit of electronic bed function.

VERSATILITY

The Icon I3 Triple Layer mattress used to be the most popular pressure injury preventative mattresses for aged care facilities and care in the home. Current trends show the favoured mattresses to be the Icon I34 for facilities, and the Homecare ICON for the home.

The Icon I34 and Homecare ICON are preferred because they are designed with higher grade foams, treated with special anti-microbial treatment for optimal performance in the acute care application. The market is seeing more importance in investing in a better quality support surface for their clients or their loved ones. The foam grades of both mattresses meet the standards for a “high specification mattress” according to the Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Injuries: Clinical Practice Guideline. The International Guideline 2019.

The Icon I3 Triple Mattress is now mostly used as a pressure injury preventive mattress in facilities and the home where budget is a concern. The Icon I3 mattress is a basic mattress that delivers a solid level of care.

The Icon I3 mattress has been designed to provide effective immersion and envelopment for users between 40kg and 50kg.

The Icon I3 can be customised in size to suit any bed platform.

The immersion layer of the Icon I3 is an Airoform Memory Soft – it is often swapped out with a different firmness within the Airoform Memory range for personal comfort and patient compliance purposes, for example, Airoform Memory Extra-Soft.

The Icon I3 mattress is supplied as standard with a hospital grade waterproof cover (Advantiflex Classic Cover) but is often swapped out with the Luxury Quilted cover for community applications. The Quilted Cover provides excellent pressure care and homely comfort.