Pressure on the face while in the prone position: ProneView versus Prone Positioner

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Patient Positioning
• Pressure Injury Prevention

Background:

• Prone positioning is crucial for patients with respiratory failure.
• Common positioning devices can cause facial pressure injuries.
• Minimizing facial pressure is essential for patient safety and comfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare facial surface pressure between a new face-contoured device (PV) and a standard non-face-contoured positioner (PP).
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a contoured device in reducing pressure on the face during prone positioning.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, randomized comparison was conducted in an academic medical center.
• 35 adult volunteers were recruited to test both the PP and PV devices.
• Facial surface pressure was measured using embedded transducers, and head/neck position was quantified.

Main Results:

• The face-contoured PV device resulted in significantly lower average facial surface pressure (21 mmHg) compared to the non-face-contoured PP (27 mmHg).
• PV also reduced the number of areas exceeding 30 mmHg and 50 mmHg pressure compared to PP.
• Head or neck extension increased chin pressure with both devices.

Conclusions:

• The face-contoured PV device offers a 29% reduction in facial pressure compared to the PP.
• PV significantly decreases high-pressure areas (>50 mmHg) by 80%, potentially reducing skin damage.
• Maintaining a neutral head/neck position is recommended to minimize pressure points, especially on the chin.