Hill-Rom Introduces New Wound Therapy Surface

BATESVILLE, Ind. Hillenbrand Industries, Inc. announces its Hill-Rom subsidiary has introduced a revolutionary new hospital bed surface that can enhance care for patients with pressure ulcers. The Hill-Rom(R) E700 Wound Surface (a low air loss therapy surface) also offers new levels of flexibility for use within healthcare facilities. Unlike traditional mattress replacement systems, this surface easily converts to fit multiple bed frames, including Hill-Rom frames and a variety of other frames.

    Caregivers are at the frontline in understanding the importance of preventing and treating pressure ulcers. They also understand the need for comfort. "Our goal is to prevent pressure ulcers and to create a safe environment," said Janice Thomas, RN, director of the Wound Care Clinic at GastonMemorialHospital in Gastonia, NC. "However, what's really different is that our patients find it so comfortable and that's important, too. This bed offers pressure reduction and, equally important to us, is comfortable for our patients."

Melissa Fitzpatrick, RN, MSN, FAAN, vice president and chief clinical officer for Hill-Rom, agrees and adds, "Not only does the new E700 surface provide the therapy pressure that ulcer patients need, it also offers them the comfort they may have been missing in traditional therapy surfaces. And, as we all know, quality rest can promote faster healing."

Avoiding pressure ulcers has assumed greater importance for hospitals since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced recently that treatment of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers will not be reimbursed as of October 2008. In addition, The Joint Commission has made pressure ulcer prevention one of its National Patient Safety Goals for 2008. The impact of these issues has been quantified in the 10th Annual International Pressure Ulcer Prevalence Survey (IPUPS) released by Hill-Rom last month. This report highlights that nearly half of adult patients in acute care facilities are at high risk for the development of pressure ulcers.

The Hill-Rom E700 Wound Surface offers a new solution and contains numerous unique features to promote patient comfort and healing:

--  PressureSmart(TM) Sensing Technology senses the patient in real time and automatically adjusts to provide optimal pressure redistribution as the patient sleeps, turns, sits up, and gets in and out of bed.

--  Microclimate Management is provided by E700's unique Low Airloss 3-D fabric with crush-resistant channels.  It provides airflow just below the patient, leading to an improved ability to manage heat and moisture, thus avoiding breakdown of the skin that could lead to pressure ulcers.

--  ShearRelief(TM) System fabric is slippery and moves with the patient, minimizing shear and friction.  A unique algorithm automatically adjusts to help reduce shear and friction when the head of the bed is raised.

--  Head of Bed Angle Display lets the caregiver know if a patient's head is above or below the 30-degree point, a key factor in reducing the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

--  Turn Assist, built into the bed surface, allows caregivers to more easily reposition patients, easing strain on caregivers and maintaining patient comfort.

--  QuickStudy(TM) Bed-Side In-Servicing is the first software-based bed-side display to provide caregivers user instructions and video demonstrations.  This bilingual tool supports the caregiver with an easy-to-use, touch-screen help tool.

The Hill-Rom(R) E700 Wound Surface (a low air loss therapy surface) will be introduced today at the Clinical Symposium on Advances in Skin and Wound Care Conference (CSWC) being held in Nashville.

Source: Hillenbrand Industries, Inc.