Assessment of Support Surface Integrity in the Acute Health Care Setting

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Medical device maintenance
• Patient safety engineering

Background:

• Support surfaces are critical for pressure redistribution in acute care settings.
• The longevity and integrity of these surfaces impact patient outcomes and infection control.
• Current warranty periods do not reflect actual service life in demanding hospital environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze support surface integrity data over one year in acute care settings.
• To develop recommendations for routine assessment and replacement of hospital support surfaces.
• To inform healthcare facilities on best practices for maintaining support surface quality.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study analyzing data from 5121 support surfaces across 85 US acute care facilities.
• Inspections involved visual checks, internal examination for staining, and compression testing.
• Data were collected throughout 2019 from participating healthcare institutions.

Main Results:

• 59% of evaluated support surfaces required immediate replacement.
• Common failure modes included holes, tears, and thinning of the material.
• Visible staining was identified as a key indicator of potential mattress failure.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare facilities must implement regular support surface inspection protocols.
• Damaged or contaminated surfaces pose significant infection control risks.
• Proactive replacement of compromised support surfaces is essential for maintaining pressure redistribution capabilities and patient safety.