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Patient positioners stop pressure ulcers before they happen

Each year, as many as 3 million patients in the U.S. develop pressure ulcers during admissions to long-term or acute care settings. While the severity of these incidents vary from stage I to IV, each pressure ulcer may cost upwards of $120,000 to treat. As the entire healthcare industry attempts to reign in unnecessary spending, pressure ulcers are a major financial drain that physicians must address to improve patient outcomes and increase savings.

Patient positioners for downtime

Effective pressure ulcer prevention strategies feature nursing staff who rotate patients at regular intervals, but workforce shortages and large patient populations may make this unrealistic. Instead, patient positioning devices can prevent pressure ulcers from ever developing.

Whether a patient needs to lie in a supine, prostrate or lateral position during his or her downtime, AliMed's line of patient positioners has everything physicians need to protect patients from pressure sores. Foam and gel positioners lift body parts off suffocating bedding to reduce four of the five main causes of sores - pressure, traction, friction and moisture. Head pads and chest rolls protect supine patients, while heel protector wraps and hip pads provide spot protection wherever necessary.

Protection during surgery

Even in the operating room, patients are at risk of developing pressure ulcers, and the unique body positions required during surgery can make it difficult for physicians to focus on both the procedure at hand and the constant threat of ulcers. Even with patients in unconventional configurations such as the surgery-friendly Trendelenburg position, AliMed's patient positioners still offer constant protection.

With a full-body Trendelenburg Stabilizer, physicians can adjust patients up to 400 pounds with 30 degrees of articulation. Armboard, sacral and boot pads also distribute weight and friction to make the lithotomy position safe during surgeries that last several hours. In addition to protecting against pressure ulcers, these patient positioners also promote access to the surgery site so physicians can complete procedures with fewer complications.

Avoid pressure ulcers with patient positioners

Hospitals and practices of every size cannot ignore the physical and financial tolls pressure sores take on their patients. AliMed's suite of patient positioners protect from pressure ulcers regardless of prior condition and body position throughout stays.