Assessment of Support Surface Integrity in the Acute Health Care Setting

The purpose of this study was to analyze 1 year of data from ongoing assessments of support surface integrity in the acute care (ie, hospital) setting, to formulate recommendations for routine support surface assessment and replacement consideration.

Descriptive study.

Data were collected from 85 acute care facilities located in urban, suburban, and rural locations across the United States. Facilities were either current or prospective customers of Medline Industries, LP from who voluntarily agreed to participate in a surface assessment program. Data were collected from January through December 2019.

Two trained individuals conducted each support surface inspection beginning with a visual inspection of the covering and zipper. Heavy staining or visible prompted an internal inspection of the surface. Finally, a compression test was conducted after which the surface was given a score of its integrity.

Evaluations of 5121 surfaces across 85 acute health facilities showed that 59% (n = 3021) required immediate replacement, and slightly less than one-third of support surfaces were deemed in good condition. The most common failure modes were holes, tears, and thinning. Staining appears to be a leading indicator for mattress failure.

Support surfaces commonly have warrantees of 10 years for manufacturing defects, but this should not be interpreted as the expected years of use. Health care institutions should implement regular inspection practices to identify damaged support surfaces and report them to the appropriate department for replacement. Contaminated surfaces pose an infection control risk, and failure of the physical properties of the support surface may impact pressure redistribution capabilities of the surface.