Stryker support surfaces prevent patient injury and reduce operating costs

Whether through pressure injury prevention, fall prevention, infection prevention or safe patient handling initiatives, Stryker's mission is to do everything possible to provide the optimal experience and best possible outcomes for customers, clinicians, and patients.

At a November webinar sponsored by Stryker, Alexis White, surfaces marketing associate at Stryker, discussed benefits of different support surface materials and explained the key features of Stryker mattresses with assistance from Sarah Phillips, RN, clinical consultant, and David DiPaola, surfaces marketing manager, both of Stryker.

Three key takeaways were: 

1. Different support surface materials serve different purposes. Mattresses in use today are primarily one of three support surface options: foam, air and gel. 

• Foam is soft but cultivates the most heat and tends to not hold up as long other options. 
• Air is generally a specialty mattress for patients at risk for a skin injury, using alternating air tubes, bladders or pods to achieve low pressure and low air loss capabilities for microclimate control. 
• Gel, a newer material exclusively offered by Stryker, promotes pressure redistribution through constant low pressure and has no memory, unlike foam. To provide optimal comfort, gel surfaces buckle underneath patients to relieve pressure, but also support them. 

"Clinically, we know there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer for our patients' needs. Both gel and air technology achieve low pressure, just in different ways," Ms. Phillips said. 

2. Stryker support surfaces are built to the S3I standard. Historically, pressure mapping was the standard of design for pressure injury prevention. However, today Stryker develops its support surfaces based on the newer, proven S3I standards for microclimate management, immersion and envelopment.

Microclimate refers to the temperature and humidity at the support surface and body interface. To control the microclimate on patients, Stryker offers low air loss, which is either built into the surface or is available with the attachment of a pump. Immersion (depth of penetration) and envelopment (ability of a support surface to conform) are applied together to redistribute pressure. 

Using these standards, the benefits for patient comfort and patient injury prevention are amplified. As a result of utilizing Stryker support surfaces, Penn State experienced a 44 percent reduction of truncal hospital-acquired pressure injuries and an estimated $290,120 cost savings.¹

3. Stryker's portfolio of support surfaces meets the needs of dynamic patient populations. Stryker mattresses come with a 10-year internal warranty, with financial guarantees for pressure injury reduction, rental reduction, and more. Stryker's Proform foam and IsoFlex legacy gel mattresses accommodate lower acuity patients. As a patient's acuity increases, so do Stryker surface features that help prevent skin injuries and promote healing:

• IsoTour. This is Stryker's latest gel mattress, designed to fit on the same bed frame as other Stryker mattresses. The TruTurn (turn assist) feature can assist with staffing challenges, alleviating the need to call in an extra caregiver to assist. "IsoTour is a fully static mattress. It doesn't require a pump to work, but with the simple addition of a pump, you can hook it up to low air loss for microclimate management and our turn assist feature," Ms. White said.

• IsoAir. This mattress is perfect for immobile populations who require the most attention to prevent skin breakdown. Every other tube in the mattress inflates, while the others deflate to provide constant micro-offloading. IsoAir fits on the same frame as other Stryker mattresses and rolls up for convenient local storage.

• Isolibrium PE. This mattress is for the highest-acuity patients, designed with strategically placed gel, air and foam in the frame to provide intensive-level support. Isolibrium uses air under the back and bottom for micro articulations to support circulation and gel under the legs and heels for appropriate pressure redistribution on bony prominences. Isolibrium offers a continuous lateral rotation therapy feature for pulmonary hygiene, rotating at up to a 40-degree angle to help prevent ventilator-acquired pneumonia.

Keeping patients and partners safe is at the heart of all Stryker does. Whether through supporting pressure injury prevention, fall prevention, infection prevention or safe patient handling initiatives, Stryker offers a variety of innovative products and solutions designed to enable better patient and caregiver outcomes.

1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Estimating the additional hospital inpatient cost and mortality associated with selected hospital-acquired conditions. Updated November 2017. Accessed January 5, 2021. https://www.ahrq.gov/ hai/pfp/haccost2017-results.html