ESWELL test of operating mattresses
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Eswell OP Mattress Simonsen & Weel, Niels Bruun Ipsen, June 2014 n experimental test of mean and peak pressure on specic anatomical locations has been done on 15 test subjects placed on Eswell OP mattresses. The measurements have been compared to a critical value of 32mmHg. The XSENSOR pressure grid was used to monitor interface pressure. Introduction The use of viscoelastic foam mattresses for the operating table can be motivated by three factors 1. The risk of developing pressure ulcers due to surgery doubles after 2.5 - 4 hours on the operating table and more than triples after 4 hours [2]. Method One way to assess pressure redistributing qualities of a support surface is by monitoring the interface pressure between subject and surface. Several systems for this kind of measurement exist. The choice of system for the measurements done here is the XSENSOR Pressure Imaging System, XSENSOR Technology Corporation. The XSENSOR X3 Pro have the following specications • Name: X3 Px100:64.160.02 mattress sensor • Size of sensor array: 81cm x 203 cm • Number of sensing points: 10240 • Resolution: 1.27cm (0.5”) 2. The incidence of pressure ulcers acquired dur• Calibration ranges: 5-50mmHg, 10-200mmHg ing surgery lasting more than 4 hours has been The system is intended for measuring patient reported between 11.1 - 30% [6][2]. support surface interface pressure, however, the 3. A Cochrane review from 2009 concludes that user manual states that the system is not intended the incidence of post-operative pressure ulcers to accurately determine the absolute pressure can be reduced when using pressure relieving levels at any individual pressure point [1]. That is, it is intended to illustrate the relative pressure overlays on the operating table [4]. distribution over an area, more than doing precise The arteriolar pressure of 32mmHg is often used pressure measurements. as a reference value for interface pressures between subjects and support surfaces, in relation to the The software that follows the with the sensor prodevelopment of pressure ulcers [3][7]. Even though vides an image of the interface pressure over the the etiology of pressure ulcers is thought to be much area of the sensor. Furthermore, information can be more multifaceted than external pressure rising above extracted regarding 32mmHg for a critical length of time, it has here been • Individual cell pressure used as a reference for the average interface pressures on anatomical landmarks such as the back of the • Total area of activated cells head, shoulders, sacrum, elbows and heels, when a subject is situated on an Esewell OP mattress. • Average cell pressure in all activated cells

• Peak pressure For these measurements, the XSENSOR system was used to monitor the average pressure on the back of the head, shoulders, elbows, sacrum and heels. Fifteen healthy test subjects with an average BMI of 25.6±4.6 were placed in the supine position on an operating table equipped with Eswell operating table mattresses, the pressure grid between subject and support surface. Table 1: Summarized data and statistics. The mean of the mean pressures measured on anatomical landmarks ± 95% condence interval. The corresponding p-value for the test of the mean value being lower than 32mmHg...