The effect of support surface on the prevention of pressure injury in acute care settings: A multi-center prospective observational study

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze if a multi-foam core mattress with a laminated cover can reduce the incidence of pressure injuries, compared to an alternating air mattress overlay among critically ill patients in acute settings. Design: Prospective observational study. Participants: and setting: Patients with a Braden scale score ≤16 on intensive care unit admission at five general hospitals in Korea were included in this study between February 2022 and March 2022. Methods: One hundred and twenty patients in acute settings were enrolled and categorized into two groups: a multi-form core mattress with a laminated cover group (n = 60) and an alternating air mattress overlay group (n = 60). Data were collected for 7 days by wound care nurses. Results: Pressure injury developed at a significantly lower rate in the multi-form core mattress with a laminated cover group (n = 4/60, 6.7 %) than in the alternating air mattress overlay group (n = 25/60, 25.0 %) (P = 0.011). Using a multi-foam core mattress with a laminated cover demonstrated a protective effect against pressure injuries (odds ratio 0.123, 95 % confidence interval 0.024–0.620, P = 0.011). Conclusions: A multi-foam core mattress with a laminated cover was significantly more effective than an alternating air mattress overlay in preventing pressure injury in critically ill patients.