Comparison of caregiver forces required for sliding a patient up in bed using an array of slide sheets

This study investigated the forces required while performing the common patient handling task of moving a patient up in bed using traditional cotton sheets or friction-reducing slide sheets. Twenty-nine healthy adult participants 18 to 36 years of age were recruited as "patients." Hand forces and lumbar compression and shear forces were calculated on the "caregiver" when performing the repositioning task. Significant differences in lumbar compression and lumbar sagittal shear forces at L4-L5 and at L5-S1 were found among the three sheet types. No difference in peak sum hand force was found between the slide sheets; however, the traditional cotton sheet created the greatest force at the hands and every sheet exceeded the recommended summative hand force of 35 pounds. As such, sliding patients up in bed may contribute to increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries in caregivers.