Ripple Mattresses
| Abbreviation / other names | Alternating pressure pad |
| What does it do? |
Prevention, treatment and management of pressure sores. |
| Physiology |
When patients are lying in bed for long periods of time there
are points on their body that push onto the mattress harder
than other points. Due to the pressure on these sites the blood
flow in the tissue is reduced which results in the tissue dying.
This is known as a pressure sore. Pressure sores are very painful
and they take a long time to heal. To prevent and treat pressure
sores a ripple mattress is used beneath the patient to relieve
the pressure on the tissue and allow blood flow in the tissue. |
| How it works |
A ripple mattress consists of an alternating pressure pump
and a special air-mattress. The mattress consists of groups
of cells which can be pressurised and depressurised in turn.
The pump pushes air into the cells at different times so that
different mattress cells are pressurised alternately. This allows
the patient to be in contact with the mattress only when that
cell is pressurised. Blood can flow to the tissues near the
unpressurised cells. So in time all cells receive blood. |
| Units of measurement |
Pressure: mmHg |
| Typical values |
20-80mmHg |
| Picture of equipment |
|
 Ripple Mattress |
|