Effect of alertness level and backrest elevation on skin interface pressure.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Nursing
• Patient Safety Research

Background:

• Critically ill patients are prone to pressure ulcers due to reduced mobility and sensation.
• Patient alertness may enable repositioning to prevent pressure ulcers.
• The impact of alertness on skin interface pressures is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of alertness level on skin interface pressures.
• To determine the influence of backrest elevation on skin interface pressures.
• To analyze the interaction between alertness and backrest elevation on pressure.

Main Methods:

• Fifty healthy participants simulated sedated and alert states.
• Participants were positioned at 30°, 45°, and 60° backrest elevations.
• Interface pressures, activity, and angle were recorded; random effects models were used.

Main Results:

• Significant interaction between alertness and angle on average and peak pressures (P < 0.0001).
• Increased backrest elevation led to higher average and peak pressures.
• Interface pressures were generally greater in the simulated alert state.

Conclusions:

• Interface pressure may be an unreliable indicator of patient discomfort.
• Higher body mass index (BMI) correlated with higher average pressure but lower peak pressure.
• Findings align with previous research linking low BMI to increased pressure ulcer risk.