Journal of wound, ostomy, and continence nursing : official publication of The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
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J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs · Nov 1995
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialEvaluation of three types of support surfaces for preventing pressure ulcers in patients in a surgical intensive care unit.
Because critical care nurses recognize that many of their patients are at risk for pressure ulcer development, they provide them with support surfaces that can reduce this risk. Few reported studies, however, are available to help these nurses choose these surfaces wisely. This project was a new-product evaluation that compared the clinical effectiveness of three types of support surfaces: two dynamic mattress replacement surfaces and a static foam mattress replacement. ⋯ Although these three surfaces were comparable in effectiveness, they were not comparable in cost. Both dynamic mattress replacement surfaces cost approximately $2000 each, whereas the cost of the static foam mattress replacement was only $240 each. The results of this product evaluation should encourage other nurses to evaluate patient care products carefully before making recommendations.