[Special surfaces for managing pressure in pediatrics (II). Choice, assigned algorithm (Tarise) and management...

Bed sores among children are an adverse effect provoked by the application of new technology adapted to pediatrics. Special surfaces for managing pressure in pediatrics are a preventive measure effective to avoid the development of these lesions. So that children benefit from this preventive measure, it must be adapted to their specific circumstances. In order for this to occur, it is fundamental to know: the specific characteristics which differentiate children from adults, and the type of special surfaces for managing pressure in pediatrics which are available on the market and to evaluate their appropriateness and effectiveness. The Group of Nurses to Improve Quality in Pediatrics at the University Clinical Hospital in Valencia has developed some tools which make it possible to manage and assign different sizes and types of special surfaces for managing pressure in pediatrics by means of a scientific method (Tarise). These are based on anthropometric measurements (Pediatric Space table) for each age range, the risk to develop a bed sore or skin ulcer due to pressure, the presence of a bed sore, the pathological seriousness and the type of special surfaces for managing pressure in pediatrics.