2023 Volume 59 Issue 2 Pages 78-84
Management and control methods of pressure on body surfaces received from support surfaces are important to improve comfort of those confined to bed or during treatment, reducing the risk of pressure ulcer formation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the transition of contact pressure received by a patient while repositioning on the bed and the comfort of repositioning techniques, using a measurement system composed of a multi-channel AD converter and a pressure sensor, as well as to verify the effectiveness of the measurement system. Thirteen skilled nurses participated as caregivers, with a healthy female adult playing the role of a patient. Through four conditions of repositioning from supine to right lateral supine, the transition of contact pressure between the patient and the bed was measured and visualized. Compared to the knee-standing posture, the pressure load on the lumbar region was higher with the subjective burden increased when the patient was repositioned from the knee-extended posture. The measurement results suggest that the effect of contact pressure on the patient varies depending on postures before repositioning and repositioning methods, and that the measurement system can distinguish differences in repositioning based on the transition of contact pressure.
