SURGICAL/CRITICAL CARE
that was the same as — but slightly dif- ferent from —what already existed.” Airisana is produced domestically, she
said, and was designed specifi cally to be compatible with equipment made by other companies.
“Many surface systems require bed frame integration. With Airisana, you can use the current frame,” Daniels said. “We’re not trying to reinvent a hospital’s entire existing systems.
Weighty challenges As the resident population in the U.S. continues to grow heavier, so, on average, do hospital and longer-term-care facility patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the preva- lence of obesity in U.S. residents was 30.5% in the years 1999-2000 and had risen to 42.4% in 2017-2018. During the same span of time, the prevalence of severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%.4
Models and designs of many patient positioning devices have had to be created or adjusted accordingly.
Encompass, for instance, offers a bariat- ric patient option Airisana product with a weight capacity of up to 750 lbs, according to Daniels.
“Growing patient size means having to reposition more and more,” says Daniels. Airisana’s features help prevent staff injury. “It means three clinicians aren’t required to move a patient,” she said. AliMed’s product portfolio of both reus- able and disposable positioners includes some that are specially made to assist extra-heavy patients, including position- ing straps for bariatric surgery, and a medical bariatric table-width extender. Senior Product Manager Christian Baker says AliMed’s new AliBlue Gel positioners were designed, “to offer the same pre- mium pressure relief as other comparable products on the market, while offering a more cost-competitive price point.” AliBlue Gel Positioners are made of
100% polyurethane-based viscoelastic gel, aid in pressure redistribution and include an 18-month warranty against manufac- turing defects.
AliBlue Gel Positioners from AliMed
Baker said the company has heard from a lot of happy customers about the gel line. “They have been thrilled with the feel, along with the crisp clear blue appearance of the positioners and have appreciated that AliMed has these in stock during a time of increased supply disruptions,” he said. A lighter alternative, AliLite Positioners, are up to 50% lighter than comparable gel-only positioners, according to the company’s website. The hybrid material in those products are easier to carry and maneuver, a feature that helps prevent staff injuries.
“These are aimed, Baker said, “at helping healthcare facilities decrease their overall spend on surgical procedure supplies.”
COVID impact
The respiratory distress suffered by COVID-19 patients has placed a new spotlight on the use of prone positioning and small positioning readjustments to prevent pooling of lung secretions, and encourage circulation.
“Pulmonary hygiene,” says Daniels of
Encompass Group, “is a very hot topic right now.”
Katherine Gunn, Senior Director of
Clinical Operations at Wellsense, has found this to be the case, as well. “COVID-19 exposed and highlighted the biggest gap in the pressure injury prevention spectrum— the inability to see pressure,” said Gunn. That guesswork, she says, made the busi- ness of treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients harder. “Hospitals were contact-
ing us for a solu- tion because their prone
patients were acquiring pressure injuries,” she said. “Proning became a critical adju- vant therapy for improving ventilation in COVID patients.” “Proning already inc reases the risk of acquiring a pressure injury by greater than 29%, and these patients were often in this position for longer than Q2,” Gunn said. “Many staff members were not familiar with placing patients in this position.” The Wellsense solution was an advanced pressure visualization system called VŪ. “With the VŪ, caregivers can see the
effect that head-of-bed (HOB) and foot-of- bed (FOB) adjustments have on pressure and they can adjust infl ation settings based on what is appropriate for each patient,” Gunn said. The device provides visual feedback on
the effectiveness — or ineffectiveness — of the pressure-reducing interventions being employed, she explained. A healthcare provider (HCP) can see, for instance, “when a pillow is appropriate for offl oad- ing or when a wedge is required.” “Once the VŪ was implemented, there was no guessing where the high pressure was located or wondering if positioning devices were correctly placed,” Gunn said. “Staff could leave the bedside, confi - dent in their actions, knowing the patient was in a position of low pressure. They could continuously monitor this pressure from outside the room and conserve PPE, as well.”
Historical pressure reports also are avail-
able for each VŪ patient, which facilities use, Gunn says, “for education, goal set- ting and root cause analysis.” Patients too can access the information, which can improve health outcomes and reduce costs. “PI reductions achieved with our cus- tomers during COVID-19, with the high- est-risk patients is a testament to the necessity of pressure visualization in the PI prevention spectrum,” Gunn said.
Wellsense VŪ advanced pressure visualization system
hpnonline.com • HEALTHCARE PURCHASING NEWS • January 2022 27
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