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Randomised controlled trial
Skin protection wheelchair cushions for older nursing home residents reduce 6-month incidence of ischial tuberosity pressure ulcers compared with segmented foam cushions
  1. Dimitri Beeckman1,2,
  2. Katrien Vanderwee2
  1. 1King's College London, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery, Department of Adult Nursing, London, UK
  2. 2Ghent University, Department of Public Health, Nursing Science Unit, Belgium
  1. Correspondence to Dimitri Beeckman
    James Maxwell Building, 57 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8WA, UK; dimitri.beeckman{at}kcl.ac.uk

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Implications for practice and research

  • A pressure redistributing wheelchair cushion, used in a fitted wheelchair, is recommended to reduce the incidence of sitting-acquired pressure ulcers in nursing home residents.

  • Selecting a wheelchair cushion must be a thought-out and well-advised decision and must be based on the expertise of a multidisciplinary team specialised in seating and mobility.

  • Wheelchair fit and function must be monitored and adjusted frequently to avoid missing foot and arm rests which may cause more pressure and shear on the bony prominences.

  • More research is needed to study the effect of repositioning protocols (posture and frequency) for at-risk patients seated in a wheelchair.

Context

When seated in a chair, the body weight causes the greatest exposure to pressure over the ischial tuberosities. …

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Footnotes

  • Competing interests None.