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EPD the Epidural Positioning Chair
CategoriesPatient Handling

Positioning Patients Safely with The Epidural Positioning Chair

by sphmedicaladmin

Positioning Patients Safely With An Epidural Chair or EPD

Are you tired of straining your back and arms? Do you have frequent musculoskeletal problems from attempting to hold patients in position? It’s time to let the Epidural Positioning Device (EPD) take the load off your neck, back, arms and wrists.

If you’re a nurse, nursing assistant, anesthesia tech, Nurse Manager in Labor and Delivery, or General Surgery this product is indispensable. It provides a secure, stable and comfortable support for patients who need an Epidural, spinal block, lumbar puncture. You might even be in the hospital imaging department holding patients in a similar position during thoracentesis. Imaging departments across the country are discovering that the Epidural Chair or EPD is a comfortable and ideal positioning device to support patients and avoid risk of injury to the ultrasound techs!

What Is an Epidural Positioning Chair?

Well, many think it’s a chair but the patient is really sitting on the bed or table. the EPD provides head, chest, arm and feet support for the patient. The EPD is a stable, portable device you can use every time you need to properly position a patient at bedside when preparing for epidural or spinal block. This occurs in many clinical environments both in and out of the hospital. For example, Epidurals are administered almost once per hour on busy labor and delivery floors. With the increase of total joint replacements we’re seeing even more spinal blocks being administered in peri-operative areas. They’re using the EPD too.

The old way of manually positioning patients is dangerous. Nurses are often asked to hold the patient in position and with heavier patients this presents an even greater risk to the nurse. You have probably tried stacking pillows, asking the patient to lean forward and arch their back. Then pushing a stool over to support their feet. You might even have your patient lean over a bedside table, but more than likely, that table has wheels that don’t lock and you’ve seen a patient more than once almost slip down to the floor! Now who is going to catch that patient? There’s a better way.

Using the Epidural Positioning Chair for Epidurals, Thoracentesis, Spinal Blocks and other pain management Treatments

Nurses, health care managers and health care facilities need a better solution, and the Epidural Positioning Chair provides it. It’s the standard of care used at leading hospitals to position patients for a variety of procedures without causing dangerous falls, sprains or injuries. It gives patients a more private, dignified way to receive a spinal block or other epidural therapy. Best of all, it makes your job as a caregiver safer.

The device is fully adjustable with a six-position armrest and 180-degree adjustable face rest. It’s easy to bring this device into operating rooms, labor and delivery rooms, pain clinics, birthing rooms, imaging departments, and physical therapy clinics. Keeping the EPD disinfected and clean is easy with disposable covers for the face rest.

Benefits of the EPD

  • Keeps patients stable by ensuring proper cervical, thoracic and lumbar flexion for stable alignment.
  • Allows you to position patients in a less intrusive, more private way.
  • Avoids injuries to health care workers.
  • Is wheeled for easy portability anywhere it’s needed.
  • Is fully adjustable to fit any patient.
  • Improves Patient Satisfaction

Thoracentesis has become a regular procedure both before during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. The epidural positioning device makes it easy to manage this predictable and frequent procedure. According to Mark E Brauner, DO Thoracentesis is generally performed with the patient sitting at the edge of the bed and leaning forward with arms resting on a bedside table. Side lying positions are reserved for those patients unable to sit. Our ultrasound techs need a safe work environment as well! The EPD provides safe support for patients who may experience syncope from a vasovagal response during thoracentesis.  Leading Pulmonologists at the City of Hope Medical Center in California are using the EPD for all Thoracentesis procedures.  The Techs and the patients love it too.

Studies on pregnant women receiving an epidural found women felt more comfortable and secure when their health care providers used a positioning device. Patient satisfaction went up substantially when compared to patient satisfaction when the women received treatment without the device.

Keeping our Healthcare Workers Safe

Back Injuries, Strains and other MSD’s are a serious concern among health care workers. According to the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN), half of all nonfatal occupational injuries experienced by perioperative nurses are musculoskeletal and more than a quarter of these are back injuries.

The average preoperative room is a high-risk area that can cause many injuries to staff:

  • Shoulder, back and lower leg sprains from lifting patients.
  • Trips and falls from cords, wires and slippery floors.
  • Muscle strains from pushing around heavy equipment.
  • Leg and back strain from hours of constant motion.
  • Neck and Back injuries from frequent and predictable lateral transfers.

The EPD addresses many of these issues. It’s no wonder the device has become standard equipment in leading hospitals including Duke University Hospital, John’s Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Hospitals and VA Medical Centers.

This device is a win for everyone, and it will soon become an invaluable member of your L&D, perioperative, or Imaging team.

Please contact SPH Medical for more information or to request a quote.

If you’re ready to improve patient and staff safety this device can make an immediate and positive impact. SPH Medical is a national organization focused on Nursing and frontline caregiver safety.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Solving Lateral Transfers and Positioning Risk in Hospitals

by sphmedicaladmin

What Puts The Nursing Staff At Risk?

While you may think of hospitals as one of the safest places to work, they’re actually one of the most dangerous workplaces for staff members. In fact, an OSHA study revealed that 7 workers for every 100 full-time employees at hospitals were injured on the job. Compare that rate to other private industries, and you’ll discover that hospitals are almost twice as dangerous. The nursing staff of a hospital undergoes a lot of physical exertion throughout the day. From ICUs to ORs, the nursing staff is responsible for lateral transfers of total care patients. It’s not anything out of the ordinary for a nurse to move a patient from a bed to a gurney, to a CT table, to an OR table, and back to a bed.

Most nurses perform this task dozens of times each shift. Throw in the constant need for patient repositioning, boosting, and turning and it becomes very clear why nurses are highly susceptible to repositioning injury and strains. These injuries are referred to as musculoskeletal disorders or MSD’s. These predictable, high frequency tasks are further complicated by heavier patients.

 

The Call For A Better Solution

There has been continued concern about the health of nursing staff around the country as OSHA and the Bureau Of Labor Statistics are notating negative health trends in healthcare workers. In fact, the Association of OR Nurses (AORN) has recently published a set of recommended safety guidelines and a tool kit that includes the use of air powered lateral transfer systems for each surgery patient.  See the slides below from the AORN Toolkit. While the laws may not have caught up to the ongoing injury increases, the healthcare manufacturers have. They’ve developed air powered systems that are fast, comfortable, easy to use, and highly efficient for both caregivers and patients alike.

What Are Air Powered Systems?

Air powered systems are comprised of an inflatable pad, easy-to-use air supply,

power cord, and a hose. The patient is placed on the air powered lateral transfer system. The pump is inserted into the pad. As the pump quickly runs to fill up the pad, it sounds similar to a vacuum cleaner. Once the mattress is pumped up, it’s time to move the patient.

These air powered systems come with straps to hold the patient safely in place during the lateral transfers process. They also come with convenient handles for the caregivers to use when sliding that patient from one surface to another. In most cases, the lifting or pulling weight is reduced to almost 10 percent of the patient’s weight.

With virtually no friction beneath the pad when transferring from surface to surface, moving patients can be done with minimal caregiver exertion.  Reducing exertion reduces risk of injury to nursing staff.   There are a few different brands that offer this system, including SPH Medical, and Hovermatt. Air powered transfer systems can also be easily used for patient repositioning.

The Immediate Benefit Of Air Powered Transfer Systems

Air powered lateral transfer systems provide many notable benefits for both the healthcare worker and the patient. These systems provide a less strenuous way for healthcare workers to transfer patients from one surface to another. This reduces the occurrence of a nursing injury, including a repositioning injury or a chronic low back injury.

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic concerns, more and more healthcare facilities are investing in disposable pads for air powered systems. These pads can be easily thrown out after each use, or reprocessed, reducing risk of cross contamination in between patients and reducing risk of infections hospital wide.

Improve Patient Satisfaction

For patients, these air powered transfer systems provide a more comfortable and safe transfer process. Since the patient is being supported by the inflatable pad instead of a draw sheet, the transfer process feels more supportive and comfortable.  The uncomfortable and typically manual process of being transferred is replaced with a frictionless float to the target surface.  In addition, the safety straps give the patient a feeling of security during the transfer.  Overall patients are happier and staff are safer.  This is a win win for everyone including the hospital.

 

 

CategoriesPatient Handling

Positioning Patients Safely with EPD

by sphmedicaladmin

Keeping Patients Safer and Reducing Injury to Caregivers

When it comes to positioning patients safely and reducing the possibility of injury to caregivers, the medical community has continually adopted new technology. The EPD is no different. Known formally as an epidural positioning device, this medical technology is successful in positioning patients safely for various procedures.

Most popularly used to position a patient for an epidural procedure, the epidural positioning device has provided many benefits for users and caregivers alike. The first and most obvious benefit is that this epidural positioner works to properly position and support a patient for a successful procedure.

Traditionally, the caregiver had to position the patient for this procedure manually. This puts the caregiver at risk for injury or MSD.  The National Institute of Health breaks down the risks of workplace injury to Nurses who work on a Labor and Delivery unit.  One of the known high risk tasks for nurses identified by NIH is assisting with epidural procedures.  The best way to reduce risk of injury is to either modify the task or implement engineering controls so that the risk is removed. The EPD or Epidural Positioning Chair solves these manual handling problems. In addition, manual handling allows for less accurate positioning and more risk for complications during the procedure. Once the benefits of EPD were discovered by nursing staff and patients, its use expanded to support spinal blocks, lumbar puncture, and thoracentesis procedures in the imaging or ultrasound department.

Expanded Use For General Surgery

With the success of the epidural positioner for childbirth assistance, anesthesiologists have utilized this device for different types of spinal blocks. A spinal block is, essentially, spinal anesthesia that is used to numb the spine during certain procedures. The most common procedures for a spinal block include urinary tract, genital, and lower body procedures including total knee replacements.

Since a thoracentesis procedure requires inserting a needle into the pleural space, the EPD is a much-appreciated tool. The patient positioning with this device allows for an open area between the lungs and the chest wall where the surgeon can remove excess fluid to allow the patient to breathe significantly easier.

What Are The Benefits of The Epidural Positioning Device

As you’ve learned, the epidural positioning device has been employed in various types of medical procedures. From starting as a better way to positioning patients safety during an epidural procedure to being employed more recently in thoracentesis procedures, it’s very clear that this medical device offers many benefits for its users.

Manual epidural positioning is typically achieved with a chair and pillows. The caregiver would position the patient’s feet on a chair or stool. They would then place pillows underneath the patient’s upper body as they placed their weight on the pillows.

This isn’t a solid foundation as pillows can easily move out of position, and the height of the chair or stool is likely not ideal for all patients. The epidural positioning device comes with a solid foundation that won’t move. It can easily lock into position and offers adjustable foot platforms so that each patient can be in an ideal position for the procedure.

Eliminates Injury Risk To Caregiver

In Pre-Ops, ORs, and throughout other areas of the hospital, caregivers are manually positioning patients for epidural-like procedures. The typical scenario requires the caregiver to steadily hold a stool, table, and patient with their entire body throughout the procedure. This ensures the patient doesn’t move, resulting in patient injury.

Assisting the patient in holding the ‘mad cat’ flexed spine position puts the caregiver in an unhealthy position. This position can lead to musculoskeletal injuries for caregivers. In fact, hospital ergonomic teams have identified that these static holds, performed on a regular basis, can lead to musculoskeletal disease in caregivers.

Reduces Risk Of Complications

Given the unique, taxing nature of patient positioning during spinal blocks and epidural procedures, there is a high risk of complications. Without a reliable, ergonomic solution, like an epidural positioning device, caregivers are us

ing their own body positioning to hold the patient fast.

The patient, on the other hand, is relying on pillows to hold their positioning. As the pain sets in from the procedure, patients are very likely to move involuntarily. This further increases the risk of the procedure being compromised as the needle is not inserted into the spine’s proper place.

An epidural positioning device provides a solid positioning for patients. This positioning allows the caregiver to rely more on the device than their own body weight to hold the patient in the ideal position for the procedure. Overall, these benefits greatly reduce the risk of complications during epidurals and spinal blocks.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Promoting Staff and Patient Safety with an EPD

by sphmedicaladmin

Patient Safety with an EPD

Invasive procedures involving conscious patients are tricky. It can be difficult for a patient to maintain a static position during this important procedure. A sudden movement from the patient may cause unnecessary pain and discomfort. To reduce the risk of improper epidural placement and to eliminate the manual handling of the patient by the nurse, SPH Medical can improve overall safety and efficiency with an EPD.  One might not see an epidural placement as involving manual patient handling but this common procedure puts nurses and patients at risk every day. The strain of bearing a patient’s weight when holding them in position and applying counter pressure can cause neck shoulder and even back injuries to nursing staff.  Nurses and nursing assistants are twice as likely than other professions to deal with musculoskeletal disorders or MSD’s that keep them out of work.

Improving Epidural Placement

An epidural is a common way for an anesthesiologist to provide pain relief during labor and delivery. The doctor delivers a shot that goes directly into the space near the patient’s spinal cord. In some cases, patients receive a spinal block. In this case, a catheter delivers a regular stream of anesthetic to prevent pain for prolonged labor or surgical procedure.

To ease the procedure for both the doctor and the patient, it is best to have the patient in a position that opens the spinal vertebrae. In the past, staff would accomplish this by laying patients on their sides.

However, it is more effective for patients to sit upright and bent forward with a curved spine. Without the right equipment, holding this position might involve a staff member giving physical support. With an epidural placement device, or EPD, the patient can sit naturally and comfortably through the procedure.

How an EPD Works

When medical staff members are trying to get a patient in the proper position, they might use a surgical tray or bedside table and a footstool. When you are using equipment for a task for which it was not designed, there is an increased risk of tipping and injury.  Also, patients come in different shapes and sizes.  A shorter patient will need a higher footstool and lower bedside table tray to obtain the proper curve of the spine.

An epidural positioner is a safe patient handling device designed specifically to perform this task. The standard model has an adjustable headrest and armrests that support the upper body, and adjustable footrests keep the lower body at the correct angle. Once everything locks into place, the sturdy device handles the weight of the patient. When an anesthesiologist gives an epidural or spinal block, he or she can rest assured that the patient will be still and well-supported during the procedure.

Additional Uses

As more anesthesiology departments began to adopt the use of an epidural positioner, other medical specialists saw potential applications. The same position that aids the placement of an epidural is also helpful during thoracentesis.

Imaging departments often carry out this procedure to treat pleural effusions. When there is liquid in the space between the lungs and chest wall, it makes breathing difficult. Guided by imaging equipment, a medical staff member inserts a hollow needle between the ribs of the patient to relieve the pressure and collect samples.

Once again, this is a procedure where the patient must stay in one position for an extended period. Using the epidural positioner helps separate the patient’s ribs and makes it easier to perform the insertion. The patient can stay in place without discomfort or requiring support from the staff.

Safety for Both Staff and Patients

At SPH Medical, we specialize in solutions that improve patient care and reduce risk of injury to both the patient and the caregiver. Procedures like an epidural or thoracentesis are more efficient and less stressful for patients when they are properly positioned.  Safe patient handling procedures prevent unnecessary staff injuries and lost time. For institutions, this leads to an overall reduction in frequency and severity of MSD’s to a very skilled workforce, our nurses.  Investing in Safe Patient Handling provides a well documented return on investment for everyone.  Having access to the proper assistive equipment means improved patient outcomes, and lower costs for the hospital.

CategoriesInfection Prevention

SPH Medical N95 Masks

by sphmedicaladmin

Patients Flooding Healthcare Facilities

The healthcare industry has long been using the N95 Masks as an effective measure to protect frontline workers and first responders from illness. With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, there are more patients flooding healthcare facilities. In addition, businesses in other industries like manufacturing are ordering large quantities of masks to protect their staff members.

Overall, the demand for the NIOSH 95 mask has drastically increased. Unfortunately, mask manufacturers are unable to keep up with the instantaneous skyrocketing demand. This has resulted in an overall shortage of N95 Masks. Many professionals are finding that they have to stretch the use of their mask well beyond its point of disposal until new shipments arrive.

Are All N95 Masks The Same?

The CDC recommends the N95 to protect people in the healthcare industry from airborne particles infected with the coronavirus. This type of personal protective equipment comes in many different styles, sizes, and ratings.

Our most popular selling N95 respirator, the Makrite Model 9500-N95, is a go-to essential for all healthcare workers. This individual respirator holds a NIOSH certification, which is a must-have certification according to OSHA for healthcare workers.

What Is A NIOSH Certification?

Any Makrite N95 Mask that holds a NIOSH certification has been successfully evaluated by the National Institute For Occupational Safety And Health (NIOSH) to be effective at protecting users against harmful airborne particles. All NIOSH certified masks meet the minimum requirements set forth in Title 42, Section 84 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

The Makrite 910-N95FMX is the newest in surgical respirator technology. It’s both a NIOSH N95 respirator and hasbeen given a surgical rating by the FDA. This mask is proven effective at providing fluid resistance, airborne particle resistance, and is comfortable for the wearer.

What Is A Surgical Rating?

Apart from receiving a NIOSH rating, a mask can receive a Surgical Rating. This rating is granted by the FDA after the mask is proven to effectively protect the user in a surgical environment. The main attributes of a surgical mask is they are both fluid and fire-resistant.

The fit test is designed to ensure that workers are able to appropriately wear their mask so that it effectively filters the air they breathe. OSHA recommends a fit test for each staff member upon employment and annually. The fit test helps to identify what specific style and size mask best fits the user.

What is a Fit Test?

During a fit test, the seal between the mask and the user’s face is evaluated. Each fit test takes about 15 to 20 minutes to complete. A qualitative fit test is performed with respirators like the mask where only the nose and mouth are covered. The tester will use one of the four substances accepted by OSHA to detect any leakage in the mask’s seal. These four substances include:

  • Saccharin (results in a sweet taste)
  • Bitrex (results in a bitter taste)
  • Irritant Smoke (causes coughing)
  • Isoamyl Acetate (smells like bananas)

If the testee experiences any one of the results above caused by the testing substance, then they fail the fit test with the specific mask they’re wearing. The testee will need to undergo the fit test again with a different style or size N95 mask. Once the testee passes the fit test, they’ll be able to successfully wear that mask in the field with success.

The Future Of N95 Masks

As you know, the Makrite N95 Mask has been in high demand. Many healthcare workers are currently experiencing major shortages in their mask supplies. This shortage has forced many to reuse their disposable masks for days on end. Currently, the nation’s leading mask suppliers have been enacting plans to boost mask production.

Right now, it seems that mask manufacturers just need more time to beef up their production efforts to meet the ongoing global demand. To ensure your frontline workers’ safety, you must work with distributors like SPH Medical who are a direct link to the mask manufacturers. This relationship will help to get your healthcare facility quality masks when they become first available.

SPH Medical Wholesale PPE
CategoriesInfection Prevention

Wholesale PPE Supplier to Healthcare and Industry

by sphmedicaladmin

SPH Medical: A Trusted Wholesale PPE Supplier for Healthcare and Industrial Applications

Since 2012, SPH Medical, a southern California based wholesale PPE Supplier, has been considered a national leader when it comes to providing the most advanced and effective solutions for reducing rates of infection, improving staff and patient safety, reducing injuries and improving the outcomes of patient care across the United States healthcare system. SPH Medical has been consistently delivering advanced ergonomic solutions, training, risk consulting services, high quality products, as well as providing evidence based clinical solutions for a variety of industries and applications.

Safety for Everyone

Viruses and bacteria can survive on surfaces for a long period of time. In fact, Clostridium Difficile has been documented to survive on surfaces for up to 6 months. In light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, safety precautions and CDC (centers for disease control and prevention) guidelines should be thoroughly followed and implemented to ensure safety for everyone, especially for the frontline caregivers and medical personnel. As a wholesale PPE supplier (Personal Protective equipment), SPH Medical provides a reliable, safe and secure way to purchase trusted high quality and performance PPE at a reduced cost. The PPE provided by SPH Medical is critical not only for patient safety, but also for keeping medical staff, technicians, nurses, doctors, schools, businesses and many others safe with the goal of minimizing risk of infection or injury.

Examples of the trusted and reliable personal protective equipment items that SPH Medical provides include the N95 masks, isolation gowns, 3 ply masks, electrostatic sprayer, as well as the highly effective disinfectant Noroxycdiff and Penetrexx Antimicrobial surface protectant. The N95 masks that SPH Medical provides, which are approved by the national institute for occupational safety and health (NIOSH), offer 95 percent filtration efficiency against airborne particles and can be used by healthcare professionals in case of an emergency. SPH Medical offers two NIOSH Certified N95 Masks that are FDA approved Surgical Mask. The N95 Surgical Masks are the Model 9500-N95 and the 910-N95FMX. The disposable surgical 3 ply masks offered by SPH Medical provide three layers of protection against viruses and bacteria and are considered ideal for healthcare, food processing, pharmacy, hospital and industrial protection applications.

Isolation Gowns

In addition to protective N95 masks, SPH Medical also offers isolation gowns that provide medical personnel, as well as their patients, protection against any sort of infectious materials, as well as protection against exposure to blood and body fluids. The isolation gowns feature rugged construction, ultrasonic seams, knitted cuff and a set in sleeve.

Another PPE item worth mentioning is the electrostatic sprayer. The electrostatic sprayer offered by SPH Medical is a self contained compact sprayer, often seen as a backpack sprayer, but is also offered as a portable device that featureSPH-XT-3s wheels and a handle for a more convenient portability.  The Electrostatic Sprayer is ideal for thorough daily disinfection and antimicrobial surface protectant applications in interior spaces, public areas, and retail areas and is compatible with any SPH Medical water-based disinfectant or antimicrobial spray.   The XT3 professional sprayer features a pressurized stainless steel tank, as well as twine-line hoses for air and liquid.  This sprayer is perfect for clinics, hospitals, medical and dental offices, as well as businesses and schools.

In addition to the above, SPH Medical also offers effective and efficient disinfectant solutions Noroxycdiff and Aquaox. Noroxycdiff is a disinfectant cleaner that is used in hospitals and businesses for killing pathogens. Noroxycdiff is EPA approved to kill C. Diff (Clostridium Difficile) spores in two minutes. The advantages of this disinfectant is that it is non-corrosive, does not need to be washed after being applied to surfaces and is considered to be cheaper than other alternatives. Also, it is not necessary for medical staff to wear protective equipment when utilizing it.

Penetrexx Antimicrobial is a surface protectant that offers a thirty to ninety day defense against microbes on hard surfaces.  Penetrexx creates a protective barrier that reduces risk of cross contamination on high touch and at risk surfaces.   It is environmentally friendly non-toxic and non-leaching.  Although many facilities have a disinfection strategy they are often missing this important 3rd step of Protection!   This product promotes lower ATP scores and is ideal for fighting microbial growth between disinfection and cleanings.

As an experienced and trusted wholesale PPE supplier, SPH Medical continues to play a critical role nationwide providing infection prevention solutions and the equipment necessary to ensure public safety during and after this Covid-19 pandemic.

Contact SPH Medical today to Get a Quote.

 

CategoriesPatient Handling

Solving Lateral Transfer and Positioning Risk in Hospitals

by sphmedicaladmin

Solving Lateral Transfer and Positioning Risk in Hospitals

A Lateral transfer and patient repositioning are typical tasks of nursing staff around the globe. In fact, it’s estimated by the American Nursing Association that the average nurse moves around 1.8 tons during a full eight-hour shift. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this immense amount of movement has resulted in medical professionals being at a 31.1 percent increased risk of musculoskeletal disorders.

The Federal Government has noted the increased workplace harm that those in the medical industry undergo due to lateral transfer and repositioning injury. In 2015, the national government passed new legislation regarding patient handling in the form of the Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act. This Act is geared towards shifting healthcare facilities into creating a safer workplace environment for caregivers.

The Biggest Problems With Lateral Transfers

A traditional lateral transfer is performed hundreds of times a day throughout all hospital departments, including ICU, imaging, emergency, surgery, and other medical units. Total care patients are unable to move their body weight from one surface to another. This situation results in the nursing staff physically moving the patient.

This move is performed in one of two ways. With the first method, the nursing staff grabs ahold of a sheet that is positioned underneath the patient. All staff members lift up on the draw sheet and physically lift the patient to another surface. In cases where fewer staff members are present, nurses use a plastic board and pull the draw sheet underneath the patient onto the other surface.

Both of these methods require a great deal of movement and strength from the nursing staff. This typically results in nursing injury in the form of back pain. With so many medical staffers undergoing musculoskeletal injuries, it has become clear that manual patient handling tasks need to be replaced with more efficient methods.

The Introduction of Air Powered Transfer Equipment

In recent years, companies like hovermatt and others have introduced air powered transfer technology. These transfer systems use a thin cushion of air under a mattress that is inflated. This system works to reduce friction and provides a floating action during patient lateral transfer.

These air powered transfer systems can be easily used for both lateral patient transfers and patient repositioning, also known as boosting a patient. The inflatable mattress transfer systems are intended to be left underneath the patient during their hospital stay.

A Look At The Many Benefits Of Air Powered Systems

It’s a wide concern of any medical facility to properly protect the long-term health of their staff. Lateral transfers and patient repositioning are well-known issues that create chronic health problems for medical staff members. Air powered systems have provided a quality solution that allows less manual labor on the part of a hospital’s medical staff. This works to reduce the overall risk of chronic injuries to caregivers.

When it comes to patients, air powered systems are providing a more comfortable and safer experience. Instead of being forcefully heaved from one surface to another under the manual power of medical staff, patients can be easily floated from one surface to the next. This makes the transferring and repositioning experience much smoother for patients.

In addition, air powered systems don’t require the patient to be lifted off of any surface. Rather, the inflatable mattress can be smoothly pulled from one surface to the next.  This makes the lateral transfer experience much safer for the patient as there is less risk of bumps, bruises, or manual handling during transfers.

Air powered systems are tremendously changing the way that medical staffers perform repositioning and lateral transfers throughout their day. These systems drastically reduce the amount of strain that is placed on the nursing staff. From a patients perspective, they provide a safer and more comfortable experience for patients.

CategoriesInfection Prevention

The Shortage of the N95 Mask Supply

by sphmedicaladmin

Shortages of Medical Supplies, Including the N95 Mask Supply

The pandemic has brought a lot of changes to the healthcare industry. From increased patient loads to shortages of medical supplies, many uncertainties are going into the future. One very specific medical supply that has got a lot of press lately is the N95 Mask supply.

The CDC has recommended this particular mask as an effective protective measure against the novel coronavirus. For this reason, the demand for the N95 Mask has skyrocketed in the healthcare, industrial, manufacturing, and general business industries. As with any sort of change in the level of demand, there are always people looking to capitalize. Unfortunately, this is wreaking havoc on the healthcare industry.

Having A Trusted Distributor Is More Important Than Ever Before

As the demand for these masks increases, more companies are trying to create distribution contracts with medical, industrial, manufacturing, and other business customers. Regrettably, not all of these distributors have the best interests of the end-users in mind. Many facilities don’t check to verify the legitimacy of these masks from unreputable distributors.

SPH Medical has been working with Makrite Industries, a company producing NIOSH N95 Masks and other similar products, for over 30 years. We are a legitimate global distributor that works directly with our supplier to bring healthcare, industrial, and manufacturing companies quality masks. Currently, the Makrite N95 Mask is our most popular selling respirator.

The Makrite Model 9500-N95 Respirator

The Makrite model 9500-N95 respirator is a vital piece of safety equipment for healthcare workers and other essential workers across the world. This mask has been in shortage since the coronavirus pandemic showed up earlier this year. Many suppliers have created and instituted scaling plans to produce more masks at higher production rates than ever before.

Unfortunately, this scaling takes time to implement. What was once thought of as a disposal mask that was to be thrown away after each patient interaction has become an all-day form of protection. Many healthcare facilities are still facing major shortages that require their staff members to use the same disposal mask for multiple patients. Some have been even instructed to keep using the mask until it’s visibly dirty or broken.

No Defense Production Act Order

As the COVID-19 pandemic was hitting record numbers, President Trump utilized the Defense Production Act to remedy the nation’s shortage of ventilators. This Defense Production Act allows the President to order companies to manufacture products that are in short supply. The pre-pandemic ventilator manufacturers shared their trade secrets with these new manufacturers in an effort to enhance the supply of ventilators.

Since the Defense Production Act worked to eliminate the shortage of ventilators, many believe it should be used to remedy the NIOSH N95 Mask supply shortage. However, so far, President Trump has not enacted the Act. Rather, his party has overseen the scaling up of major mask manufacturers. As of right now, it doesn’t look like President Trump will be enacting the Defense Production Act for the production of N95 masks.

The Makrite 910-N95FMX Respirator

The Makrite 910-N95FMX respirator is the newest innovation in the Makrite N95 Mask technology. This mask provides an excellent level of both protection and comfort for its wearer. Sealed with a Surgical Rating, the 910-N95FMX is a must-have for healthcare professional and frontline workers.

NIOSH certification requires that a mask undergo specific tests to ensure it conforms to the NIOSH standards outlined. Nelson Labs performs a variety of precertification tests, including valve leak, inhalation/exhalation, Dioctyl Phthalate (DOP), and Sodium Chloride Aerosol Challenge (NaCl) testing. NIOSH reviews these test results and provides the NIOSH N95 mask certification upon the mask meeting proper testing measures.

The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) is the agency that certifies a particular mask for surgical use. Masks cleared by the FDA show that they demonstrate flame resistance and an adequate level of fluid resistance. Both of these are considered highly important in the healthcare industry and in surgical settings.

N95 Mask Supply Summary

The future of the adequate amount of quality N95 mask supply is still uncertain for the general public and the healthcare industry. It’s now more important than ever before to be careful when selecting your mask distributor as many new distributors with less than quality products are trying to capitalize on this health crisis. SPH Medical is a trustworthy distributor who works directly with the Makrite manufacturer to ensure that healthcare professionals only receive quality N95 masks.

Reduce Nursing Injuries
CategoriesPatient Handling

Reducing Risk of Nursing Injury During Lateral Transfer

by sphmedicaladmin

Nurses Perform Transfers

It is a scenario that plays out in the hospital setting every day. A patient must move from a bed to a gurney for treatment or testing. Once the patient reaches his or her destination, it is time for another lateral transfer. SPH Medical is lowering the risk of nursing injury during lateral transfers.

When a patient is mobile, this is not too difficult. In many cases, nurses and other medical professionals have to move the full weight of the patient without any assistance. According to the American Nurses Association, the average nurse can transfer 1.8 tons during an eight-hour shift. As a result, the most common nursing injury complaint involves musculoskeletal damage. Nursing staff members are almost twice as likely to suffer from back injuries than employees in other industries.

Increased Risk to Nursing Injury

Two trends are making this problem even worse. First, fewer people are going into careers as nurses or nursing assistants. Second, American patients are getting heavier and come to the hospital with lower levels of mobility. The combination of these two developments means that fewer staff members may be trying to move more weight each day. In fact nurses are more likely to manually lift move or transfer a 300 pound patient with little to no assistance. In the construction world, a contractor would get a fork lift or the appropriate hoist to lift this much weight and both OSHA and their safety guidelines may require it!

For the medical staff, this extra effort leads to injuries of the lower back, neck and shoulders. These are not low frequency tasks. In 2017, nursing staff reported almost 20,000 musculoskeletal injuries that required days away from work or lost work days. For the health care industry, injuries lead to increased insurance claims, workers’ compensation costs, and a long list of indirect costs that affect staff morale, patient satisfaction and more.

Legislative Solutions to Reduce Nursing Injuries

In response to this situation, states like California and Washington have passed legislation to prevent workplace injuries in the health care field. These states make it a requirement that every hospital develops a plan for safe patient handling. In 2015, federal legislators introduced the Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act in both the House and Senate to make this a national policy. Unfortunately, they have not acted on the bill at this time.

The good news is that facilities that introduce comprehensive safety measures around patient handling and lateral transfer benefit from the program. While there is an up-front cost to the new equipment, there are long-term savings for the institution. An $800,000 safe lifting program implemented by Stanford University Medical Center resulted in a 2.2-million dollar savings over five years. They saw a drop in workers’ compensation claims as well as a lower incidence of pressure ulcers in patients with the resulting treatment costs. Members of SPH Medical’s team were involved with Stanford’s well recognized program from the very beginning.

The Benefits of Air-Assisted Lateral Transfer Systems

Historically, the the most common means to transfer patients from gurney to bed was by using a transfer sheet or plastic slide board. Both of these modalities can cause friction and put undue pressure on the patient and over exertion or physical strain on the medical staff. Thankfully, there are devices available that can ease this process for everyone involved and significantly reduce the risk of nursing injury.

At first glance, an air-assisted device like the Air Powered Lateral Transfer system looks like a regular air mattress. However, there is a fundamental difference. When inflated, air continually blows into the mattress. Small holes in the bottom create a layer of air that minimizes friction. According to the makers of the Hovermatt system, this air cushion reduces the force required to move a patient by 80 to 90 percent and greatly reduces the risk of a nursing injury. A task that needed four medical staff members can be done safely by two.

Because the system can sit underneath a patient at all times, it will also reduce the risk of a repositioning injury. Nursing staff frequently must boost up a patient who has slipped down in his or her bed. An air-assisted transfer system makes this a stress-free task.

Using an air-assisted transfer system is beneficial to overall patient care. Transfers are faster and safer. These qualities matter when a patient is dealing with pain. Minimizing unnecessary motion keeps patients more comfortable.

SPH Medical specializes in equipment to promote handling patients safely and efficiently. Incorporating air powered lateral transfer solutions will benefit patients, staff and the entire medical organization by reducing costs, improving efficiencies, and most importantly improving patient care and patient satisfaction. Contact SPH Medical today to reduce nursing injuries in your facility.

CategoriesInfection Prevention

N95 Mask Demand and Fluid Protection

by sphmedicaladmin

Skyrocketing Demand for PPE

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the demand for products around the globe. With skyrocketing demand for personal protective equipment, manufacturers are working harder than ever before to produce these products in adequate supplies. The N95 mask demand has been noted as one of the biggest product shortages in the country.

A big cause of this shortage was the release of a CDC recommendation that the N95 mask can be an effective protection device against the coronavirus. The healthcare, manufacturing, and industrial business sectors have adopted this recommendation by integrating the use of the NIOSH N95 Mask into their everyday business operations.

No Government Intervention In Mask Production

As mask demand is through the roof, mask manufacturers like Makrite are scaling up their production processes. While this is a positive step in increasing the supply of masks, many believe that the Government should intervene. Under the Defense Production Act, President Trump’s Administration had previously intervened when there was a shortage of ventilators.

His Administration ordered large producers, like General Motors, to start manufacturing ventilators. Ventilator manufacturers, under this Act, released their trade production secrets so that this new manufacturing could get underway. These actions allowed the nation to meet the N95 mask demand for ventilators. Many believe that more government intervention is necessary to repeat the same outcome with the N95 mask. However, there has been no indication the Government will do so.

More Capitalization On The Mask Demand

Without government officials’ help to crush the mask shortage, many business people see the potential to capitalize on this event. This has led to a market abundance of so-called mask distributors constructing contracts to sell less than reputable masks to industries in need. Many of these masks aren’t NIOSH certified and are putting those on the frontlines in severe danger.

It’s now more important than ever before to work with a reputable global mask distributor. SPH Medical is a trustworthy distributor that directly works with Makrite, a 30-year mask industry production expert, to ensure our customers only get the best quality masks. We provide various masks depending on your industry’s need, including the surgical rated Makrite 910-N95FMX and NIOSH N95 Mask.

What Are NIOSH And Surgical Ratings?

All N95 masks are not created equal. It’s vital to pay attention to each mask’s certifications and ratings to ensure that it will do the job you need it to. The NIOSH certified Makrite N95 Mask is recommended for all front line industries.

For a NIOSH N95 Mask to be certified by NIOSH, it must pass the standards outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations 42 Part 84. Prior to submission for certification, Nelson Labs runs vigorous testing of the mask to obtain performance results. These results, alongside designs and other specifications, are submitted to NIOSH for evaluation and, if approved, become NIOSH certified.

The surgical rating for the Makrite 910-N95FMX respirator is earned from the Food and Drug Administration. This rating is only awarded to masks that pass their stringent standards for being effective in surgical settings. Some of these standards include fire-resistance and fluid protection. Those in the healthcare industry commonly use these masks.

The Makrite Model 9500-N95 Surgical Respirator

One of the most demanded surgical respirators for those in the healthcare industry is the Makrite model 9500-N95. These masks are both NIOSH certified and have an FDA surgical rating. This model is specifically designed to filter out at least 95 percent of particulate matter. This Makrite N95 Mask is known to be extremely durable and comfortable to wear. Each comes with an adjustable nose piece and head straps that easily provide a proper and secure fit for users.

It’s Time To Talk With SPH Medical

As a global mask distributor, SPH Medical can work with you to determine what masks fit your employees’ needs. As a direct distributor of Makrite masks, SPH Medical can ensure that you’re getting quality products that will protect your frontline workers. Now more than ever before, working with a quality distributor instead of any average joe middle man company offering cheap prices is essential. You must ensure that you’re getting quality tested and certified masks that protect your most valuable assets, your employees. For more information on the N95 mask demand, contact SPH Medical at (844) 377-4633.

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