Evaluating the long-term performance of a foam-core hospital replacement mattress

Many hospitals have begun replacing their standard mattresses with pressure-reducing foam mattresses to eliminate the costly overlays that have been used for comfort and to protect patients at risk for development of pressure ulcers. Although researchers have tested the performance of new mattresses and have shown that many may be of use with patients at high risk, no information is available on the pressure-reducing capabilities of used mattresses. This study was designed to evaluate changes with use in the support characteristics of foam-core hospital replacement mattresses. In the first part of the study, interface pressure measurements were made at regular intervals over an extended period of use. Sixty mattresses were randomly selected from 750 mattresses currently in use at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Texas Medical Center, Houston. The mattresses were labeled and marked at three selected points, and interface pressures under a standard load were measured at approximately 3-month intervals for 12 months. In the second part of the study, the stiffness of the foam, a measure of the foam's ability to support a weight, was measured at selected points on the mattresses. Patient reports of discomfort in the sacral area and of "sinking" into the middle of the mattress prompted this phase of the study. The stiffness profiles of 25 new mattresses were compared with those of 25 randomly selected mattresses that had been in regular use for at least 24 months. Data analyzed from part one showed trends that indicated that the interface pressures increased at each site during the course of the study; however, an analysis of variance indicated that the changes were not statistically significant during the time frame of the study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)