Patient Handing - Safe Patient Handling

Air Transfer Systems in the Hospital Setting

by sphmedicaladmin November 9, 2021December 8, 2021

Anyone working in healthcare is already well aware of the countless hazards that nurses and other professionals have to expose themselves to so they can provide quality care to their patients. From physical injuries to the risk of disease and infection, medical workers truly put themselves in the front lines for the good of the general public. Every piece of equipment that makes healthcare professionals’ jobs safer and easier is a valuable asset. SPH Medical’s Air Transfer Systems are an innovative transfer mat that’s making the lives of nurses and other physicians’ lives easier, allowing them to go home at the end of the day without dealing with pain or injuries.

Of all the patient handling tasks that are performed in hospitals, lateral transfers are among the riskiest maneuvers. For inpatients, transfers from surface to surface happen multiple times every day. Each additional transfer increases the likelihood of something going wrong and a nursing injury occurring.

To make matters worse, manual transfers often don’t involve enough caregivers to safely move the patient from A to B. What ends up happening in many cases is the use of improper tools like a draw sheet, sliding the patient from bed to gurney with a plastic board underneath. It doesn’t take an expert to understand that this method doesn’t eliminate nearly enough friction to create a comfortable – or safe – experience for anyone involved.

Single Patient Use transfer mats are a simple yet highly effective way of modifying the lateral transfer process to eliminate safety hazards in myriad hospital departments. This includes the ICU, the ER, Surgery, Medical units, Imaging, and countless others.

There were an estimated 294,000 nonfatal work-related illnesses and injuries experienced by hospital workers in 2014. These injuries and illnesses come with a steep price tag for hospitals, putting all the more pressure on administrators to take every possible action to avoid them and protect their employees.

Fortunately, the trend for hospital workers being injured or getting sick on the job has been steadily declining amongst all healthcare industries for the past several years. This good news is likely due to the increased adoption of innovative new equipment like these Single Patient Use transfer mats.

Still, protecting healthcare workers’ safety is crucial because a federal safe patient handling law has yet to be enacted. The only states that have enacted safe patient handling laws or related rules and regulations are California, New York, Ohio, Texas, Washington, Maryland, New Jersey, Minnesota, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Missouri.

A Company Committed to Safety

The main focus of SPH Medical as a company is minimizing the risks that caregivers are exposed to. Their product lines provide innovative new ways to reshape medical practices in a variety of areas and create a safer environment for the professionals working in this field. It’s imperative that the safety of healthcare workers is protected to enabled them to better carry out their jobs of caring for everybody else.

Why Single Patient Use Air Transfer Systems?

The Single Patient Use transfer mat is disposable and thus removes the risk of infections being transmitted in the hospital setting. This includes infections spreading both patient-to-patient and patient-to-physician.

Using a new transfer mat every time also eliminates the risk of a mat wearing down over time and becoming defective. All it takes is one faulty transfer mat to result in a serious repositioning injury, so these Single Patient Use mats eliminate this possibility altogether.

Benefits to Patients

The most important benefit to patients is one that they might not appreciate in the moment unless they’re in the unfortunate situation of things going wrong: safety. When used properly, these types of transfer mats make things go so safely and smoothly that patients are often not even thinking about the potential risks that they’re avoiding.

Those who are on the receiving end of these transfer mats will be able to feel the difference as well. With a design that has the patient in mind and quality materials that are up for the job, Single Patient Use lateral transfer mats make a world of difference in the comfort level of their experience.

The New Air Transfer Systems

Air Transfer Systems are the most innovative and safe method of transferring patients from surface to surface. Using an inflatable mattress, a thin air cushion is created beneath the patient to reduce the amount of friction and smoothly transfer them into a bed or gurney. The result is a weightless experience for the patient, so much so that they’re said to be “floated” from one surface to the other.

Air Assisted Transfer Systems have various applications; from lateral transfers to repositioning bedridden patients. With patients who are unable to move on their own, it’s crucial that they’re repositioned regularly to avoid sores and other health problems. With the help of these new technological innovations, nurses are able to stay as safe as possible while doing these daily work tasks.

Single Patient Use Air Transfer Mattress

Patient Handling

How to Improve Staff Safety During Epidurals and Spinal Blocks

by sphmedicaladmin October 6, 2021October 14, 2021

When most people think about the effectiveness of modern healthcare, they think about innovative robotic surgeries or new medications. While these advancements certainly are relevant, they are not the only advancements that improve patient outcomes and increase staff safety during epidurals or procedures. One of the most recent innovations is an epidural positioning device.

Known more commonly as an EPD, this device is designed to provide better support for patients during the administration of an epidural or spinal block. An epidural positioning chair is most likely to be employed by an anesthesiologist and nursing staff to provide optimal spinal, lumbar, or cervical flexion. The patients will also see direct benefits.

The need for proper positioning relates to how an epidural is administered. The epidural injection occurs in the space between the spinal column and outer membrane of the spinal cord also known, as the epidural space, in the mid to lower back. The flexed spine position opens up this space. Epidurals are perhaps best known as a tool for pain control or analgesia during labor and delivery. Spinal blocks are similar procedures. However, a spinal block is a single shot in the dural sac. The relief is fast and effective. That is why a spinal block is common in general surgery.

Staff Safety During Epidurals wit the EPD

Despite the large volume of these procedures, the process of positioning patients today remains a manual and risky process for nursing staff during epidurals. Traditionally, patients must be moved in either a side lying position or leaning over a woefully unstable bedside table with pillow to enable spinal flexion and to provide access to the spine. Often, nursing staff must manually position patients and hold them in place. This requires a lot of manual static holding, counter-pressure, and other manual pushing and pulling, which puts the support staff at risk of a musculoskeletal injury. Over time, this can lead to muscle or joint disorders that cause long-term impairment or pain. The risk to staff is often overlooked on the Labor and Delivery unit where nursing injuries are increasingly problematic for both employees and costly for hospitals.

Moreover, this process can be quite uncomfortable for patients. The idea of getting a shot in the spine can already be unnerving for some patients. The manual process of being held in place can increase any associated anxiety. Plus, since the process is done manually, there is some risk of movement or error. Patients often have higher comfort levels when they feel stable, properly supported, and secure.

In this manner, the EPD solves problems from both ends. With an epidural positioning device, patients can be properly positioned without manual patient handling that puts nurses at risk of injury. Instead, patients are comfortably positioned with adjustable arm rests, a face rest and a foot plate so they can comfortably remain still while the anesthesiologist has direct access to the spine. Patients are far more comfortable, and the risk of injury to staff is dramatically reduced.

Epidural Positioning Chair

The applications for the epidural positioner are vast. They can easily be incorporated into the labor and delivery unit for expectant moms. The EPD has also gained a great deal of popularity in surgical departments across the globe. These positioners can be used to help patients prepare for common joint replacement surgeries where spinal blocks are a normal part of the standard of care.

Now, the positioners are even being purchased for use in imaging departments. There is a growing consensus that the use of a positioner can be useful during a thoracentesis. This unique procedure requires the doctor to insert a needle through the chest wall. The needle is then directed to the space between the lung and the chest wall. In some conditions, fluid can accumulate in this area. This is known as pleural effusion, and it can make it difficult to breathe. A thoracentesis, therefore, will ease the pressure on the lungs while also making it easier to diagnose the cause of the fluid buildup.

The EPD Providing Staff Safety

Given the precise positioning needed to complete a delicate procedure like a thoracentesis, the use of a positioner has obvious benefits. It is easier to get the patient into the correct position, and the positioner ensures that the patient does not shift or move during the procedure. When the process involves the use of needles in a sensitive area, secure precision is preferable.

In the end, medical advancements come in all shapes and sizes. While a positioner may not seem as dramatic as some breakthroughs, the benefits of the Epidural Positioning Chair cannot be overstated. To improve staff safety during epidurals and to increase patient comfort, the advantages make a clear argument for increased usage and broader implementation. New applications are continuing to be discovered, and it is clear that the EPD deserves a place in hospitals worldwide.

AORN recommends using an Air Powered Lateral Transfer System for supine transfers in Perioperative care areas

Patient Handling

Reduce Risk of Injury and Infections with Air Transfer Technology

by sphmedicaladmin September 30, 2021October 5, 2021

Implementing Air Transfer Technology Reduces the Risk of Infections and Staff Injury in Hospitals

Hospitals are typically viewed as place where state of the art healthcare services are provided. However hospitals today are still not the safest places to work. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic nurses and healthcare workers have been exposed to workplace injuries from manually lifting, moving and transferring patients. Infection prevention was always a top concern as well for both staff and patients. Hospitals and their infection prevention team has had their hands full preventing cross contamination and transmission of deadly viruses within the hospital. Some of these pathogens include C. difficile, MRSA, VRE, H1N1 and many more. The risks abound for patients and staff. According to the CDC, “On any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection.” One way to reduce both the risk of injury and Hospital Associated Infections is to streamline transfer and positioning processes with the Air Transfer Technology from SPH Medical.

The Air Transfer System is a multifaceted approach to solving the issues associated with lateral transfer. Lateral transfers are quite common in the hospital setting, and they are also one of the most dangerous patient-handling tasks. During a global pandemic, lateral transfers can be especially unnerving. When moving patients from one surface to another, there is a risk of contamination. As patients are moved around the hospital, they can leave a trail of germs that allows pathogens to spread. Healthcare associated infections are incredibly problematic. By the best estimates, one in every 31 patients will be infected each day.

The Air Transfer System can minimize the risk of HAI’s within a facility. These systems are designed for single-patient use. In other words, they are not shared from patient to patient. This is more important than ever. With increased concern over the spread of germs within hospitals, infection prevention protocols have become more stringent. Using single patient use devices is a further advancement in minimizing the risk of infection.

The injury risk to nursing staff associated with patient positioning and transfers may even be of greater concern. Compared to other work settings, hospitals are among the most dangerous places to work. The risk of injury is 5.9 per 100 workers. This compares to a risk of 2.6 per 100 workers in other industries. Much of this risk comes from pushing, pulling, boosting, holding, and transferring patients. Patients are moved all the time.

For example, an ICU nurse caring for four patients over a 12 hour shift performs an estimated 48 repositioning tasks that include boosting and turning every two hours! Now consider that patients are getting heavier and typically average 250-300lbs and the nurse is considerably smaller having to manually move these patients. Nurses are the coordinators of care often the ones responsible for repositioning, turning and transfers. It is not surprising, therefore, that 80 percent of nurses endure some injury on the job.

Manual Patient Handling

When a patient is moved in bed or is transferred from one surface to another, it is often a manual process. In other words, the patient must be lifted or pulled up in bed or slid over from a bed to a gurney. In some cases, a draw sheet may be used or some other type of friction reducing device may be used like the old fashioned plastic slider board that always hangs at the end of the hall. However, the draw sheets actually cause nurses to lift, and the plastic boards do not reduce friction sufficiently to reduce risk. The cumulative trauma from the predictable and repetitive patient positioning and transferring tasks have been documented as leading causes of injury to nurses.

This does not mean that injury is inevitable. Thanks to proven technology, it is possible to make transfers safer and reduce the risk of nursing injury and repositioning injury. Just consider the SPH Medical Air Transfer System. The single patient use Air Transfer Mats are part of this system from SPH Medical. The technology dramatically improves the efficiency of patient positioning and transferring while reducing risk of risk.

The New Standard of Care

The Air Transfer System utilizes the power of air to inflate the mattress and safely cradle the patient while releasing air through the bottom of the mattress to virtually eliminate friction. Nurses can easily reposition patients or float them from one surface to another. Air transfer technology is fast becoming the standard of care for surgery departments and the OR within Labor and Delivery Units. The Association of Peri-Operative Nurses, AORN, recently released their updated Safe Patient Handling tool kit and recommends its usage for all patients greater than 157 lbs that require lateral transfers.

Air Powered systems make repositioning a patient up in bed safer for nurses. Patients who are confined to bed, or bed bound, and unable to turn and move on their own must be turned and repositioned every two hours for wound prevention. In-bed repositioning poses risks similar to lateral transfers. In the past, two nurses would simply grab the bedsheet to boost the patient and lift or drag the patient up in bed. When repeated all throughout the day, the risk of injury is prevalent. The single patient use Air Transfer Mat stays underneath the patient to enable safe repositioning. With a simple flip of the switch the mat will inflate and nurses can boost a patient with ease, even heavy patients.

These are just a few examples of how Air Powered systems are so important to nursing safety. Patients who require total care put a real strain on a nurse’s physical health. While it is imperative to provide critical care for these patients, it is equally important to keep nurses safe in the process. Fortunately, the SPH Medical Air Transfer Technology can serve both purposes. Total care patients will be safer and more comfortable throughout their stay, and nurses and other hospital staff will be at a reduced risk of injury.

These risks are not overstated. In fact, if anything, there is not nearly enough attention given to the problems associated with a patient transfer process in the hospital. There are entire legislative solutions that have been passed to address the issue, and the CDC has taken a proactive approach to set infection prevention guidelines for both patient and staff safety.

The risks are real. Fortunately, it is possible to significantly impact the challenges of Healthcare Associated Infections and patient positioning with single patient use Air Transfer Mats from SPH Medical.

The EPD improves nursing and patient safety

Patient Handling

Staff Safety During Epidurals and Spinal Blocks

by sphmedicaladmin September 28, 2021September 28, 2021

No Room for Error When It Comes To Staff Safety

It’s hard to imagine health care without anesthesia or analgesia. Even after 175 years, they’re a medical marvel that no one takes for granted. Technology and innovation may evolve at lightning speed, but there are still no shortcuts during epidurals and spinal blocks. Whenever anesthetists place a needle in a patient, they summon all their knowledge, training, skill, experience and powers of concentration. Where the spinal cord and nerve roots are concerned, there’s no room for error. Simply put, if epidural placement is inaccurate, pain is the least of anyone’s worries.

Positioning the Patient: What’s the Problem?

There’s more to getting pain medicine to the right place than most people realize. Before the needle can be positioned, the patient must be positioned. That’s almost always easier said than done, especially when the patient is elderly or feeble, has difficulty following instructions, or outweighs the assisting nurse. That last scenario is quite common and highly problematic.

In 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses were injured on the job at a significantly higher rate than full-time workers in other occupations. Fifty-one percent of injuries involved muscle strains, sprains or tears, and more than a fourth of those were back-related. The average recovery time away from work was seven days.

Work-related MSDs, or musculoskeletal disorders, are injuries caused by lifting or overexertion. In 2016, MSDs accounted for a whopping 44 percent of RNs’ occupational injuries.

Needless to say, if nurses go down, the whole system goes down. Maybe you’ve never given or received epidurals and spinal blocks. If not, you’re probably thinking, “How hard can it be to tell a patient how to sit?”

Well, it’s a little like telling a ballerina to hold a picture-perfect arabesque while the photographer tries different angles.

That’s an extreme example, but the point is this: Patients are asked to assume an unnatural position and sustain it throughout a tricky procedure that can’t be rushed. Incredibly, some rather primitive methods are still employed.

The Perils of Manual Positioning

To achieve the ideal position, it’s not uncommon for staff members to prop up patients on rickety bedside tables and unwieldy pillows. Nurses and anesthesiologists who lack state-of-the-art equipment must be resourceful.

With any luck, the bedside table won’t collapse or tip. Hopefully, the pillows won’t slip to the floor with the patient close behind. Women receiving epidurals before hard labor, even those who avoid injury, are in no mood for such nonsense. The assisting staff member could easily become the next patient.

Given all the things that could go wrong with manual positioning, it’s easy to see why EPD use is becoming more widespread.

The Epidural Positioning Device

For epidurals and spinal blocks it is necessary, the EPD (epidural positioning device) is a godsend. The design takes several things into account:

Ease and accuracy of epidural placement.
Patient stability and comfort.
Weight support up to 600 pounds.
Portability.
Staff safety.

The epidural positioner is not just a luxury item any more than a seat belt is a nice accessory for a car. EPDs make it easier for anesthesiologists to do their job. EPDs keep nurses healthy and on top of their game. EPDs help patients receive first-rate care with optimal outcomes. Given all those benefits and more, EPDs are increasingly considered necessary.

The Epidural Positioner in Thoracentesis

EDPs are widely used in labor and delivery, surgery and orthopedics. They are even useful in radiology departments.

Thoracentesis, also known as pleural tap, is a procedure to remove excess fluid in the lungs. A little fluid is appropriate for lubrication; it keeps the membranes involved in breathing from rubbing together. However, too much fluid interferes with lung capacity. Labored breathing and pain result. Excess fluid can also interfere with imaging or diagnosing disease.

In any case, thoracentesis also requires careful patient positioning and needle placement. During Thoracentesis patients must be supported in a comfortable position over a prolonged period while drainage occurs. Radiologists and their imaging teams are thankful for the EPDs that make their jobs easier and prevent injuries.

The uses and benefits of the epidural positioner become more apparent all the time. This is one innovation that will be around for a while.

https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2018/article/occupational-injuries-and-illnesses-among-registered-nurses.htm

SPH Medical RoWalker for Safe Patient Mobility

Patient Handling

Mobilize Patients Early and Often

by sphmedicaladmin September 20, 2021September 23, 2021

The SPH Medical RoWalker Helping Mobilize Patients

Studies show the efficacy of mobilize patients early, and its benefits contribute significantly to patient health. Everyone on a health care team shares an interprofessional responsibility to provide treatment. However, the task of delivering ambulatory care typically rests with nurses who spend more time with patients than other health care team members. The SPH Medical RoWalker assists in providing the service that patients require, and it makes delivery easier for nurses.

Considering the Benefits of Early Patient Mobility

Combating the harmful effects of immobility on deconditioned patients, early patient mobility equipment contributes significant benefits. It improves muscle strength for bed-bound patients after days of immobility and inactivity. In addition, it reduces the incidence of delirium. Patients who use it tend to achieve better functional status after hospital release. Experts point to a potentially lower rate of mortality as well.

A reduction in days on a ventilator or in the ICU helps lower the cost of hospital care. When you mobilize patients early it improves respiratory and circulatory function in ICU patients. Getting out of bed and moving around multiple times a day with the RoWalker improves health outcomes significantly. Treatment that can produce a reduced length of stay helps improve patients’ overall quality of life.

As a falls prevention and ambulation tool that mobilizes patients, the RoWalker has proven its value across the country with a 10-year record of reliability. Moreover, early patient mobility does much more than making it easier for patients to move around from one location to another. While it may not occur to others who can move about freely, mobility lets people take care of routine activities of daily life. It provides opportunities for the expression of emotions and gratification of needs that everyone experiences. As an aid to enhancing the body’s ability to repair an injury and heal itself, the RoWalker serves an invaluable purpose.

Assisting Nurses in Providing Care

Research shows that functional decline in patients accompanies immobility. Outcomes include falls, delirium, increased length of hospital stay and an inability to conduct daily activities. Additionally, the loss of ambulatory independence can affect the quality of life. Enabling patients to move about, the SPH Medical RoWalker delivers care efficiently and enhances the safety of care providers. Nurses can rely on the equipment to provide the measure of support that a patient requires. In addition, the design makes it easy for both nurses and patients to use.

Understanding the Conveniences

The design of the RoWalker incorporates the features that give patients and nurses assurance of efficiency and safety. With a 400-lb weight capacity, it mobilizes patients early and reduces the length of stay. The effectiveness of the design challenges patients to walk a little further with confidence and without the need for additional falls prevention.

Using the SPH Medical RoWalker provides the confidence and sense of well-being that encourages deconditioned patients with muscle weakness from inactivity to use it. Nurses can facilitate progress without strain or worry as the equipment handles every challenge smoothly and efficiently.

Movement Control
Brakes and a directional wheel lock feature control the movement of the RoWalker. The directional locks enable the SPH Medical RoWalker to track in a straight line. Conveniently located and easy to access, the brakes and locks provide safe and reliable ambulation.
Access to Oxygen
An oxygen tank holder with a convenient location on the front of the RoWalker ensures access to oxygen for patients when needed.
Seating Comfort and falls prevention
Seats can flip up and rotate out to make it easy for patients to get into position to use the equipment. The seat flaps allow a patient to take a rest and sit down if they get tired. The seat flaps eliminate the requirement to pull a wheelchair behind a patient to try to catch a falling patient. Padded armrests and hand grips provide the extra comfort level that encourages patients to get the exercise that early patient mobility offers.
Height Accommodation
An adjustable height feature allows the SPH Medical RoWalker to serve patients of any size. The equipment adapts to the height of each patient instead of requiring nurses to provide alternative measures. An adjustable IV pole stands above the unit to allow unimpeded access to the vital supply that patients may need while getting ambulatory exercise.
Storage Basket
On the front of the RoWalker, an attractive metal basket provides a convenient place to store cardiac monitors or other small items that patients may need while away from their room.

Choosing Effective Equipment to Mobilize Patients

Years of development based on feedback from respiratory and physical therapists, nurses and cardiothoracic surgeons have produced the unique ergonomic design of the SPH Medical RoWalker. Initially designed for post cardiac/abdominal surgery patients, it has become the preferred choice for early patient mobility. In addition, major departments in hospitals across the country choose it for complex patient conditions, falls prevention and encouragement to exercise safely.

SPH Medical Repositioning Transfers and Ambulation

Patient Handling

Safe Patient Mobility Today

by sphmedicaladmin September 15, 2021September 16, 2021

Today, Safe Patient Mobility means something different to every department in the hospital. But in general it means that we need to understand how patients move and how to safely handle them based upon their functional abilities. An important component is choosing the right assistive solution for each patient. There are a couple of tools now available that help assess a patient’s functional ability and then translate the results of that assessment to an assistive device recommendation. The first validated functional assessment tool of this kind for safe patient handling is the BMAT. We’ll go into greater detail about the history of the BMAT in another article but suffice it to say that nurses need to select use the right assistive tool based upon their functional ability to then mobilize our patients safely while maximizing the patients’ ability to move! The BMAT helps define the right tool. This article will focus on one of the highest frequency tasks that we see in hospitals today where a patient is totally dependent upon the hospital staff to be moved either up in bed or over to another surface laterally.

Safe Patient Mobility for Lateral Movement

A significant obstacle to providing therapeutic and safe environments of care is the practice handling patients manually. Sliding, lifting, positioning, and transferring patients without using assistive technology remains common in healthcare facilities. Notwithstanding, it is an unsafe practice for both patients and caregivers. Manual handling places caregivers at significant risk for nursing injury.

Scholars have established that more than eighty percent of caregivers’ work-related injuries result from a lack of safer ways to move or lift patients manually.

The increasing rate of morbidly obese, sicker, and predictable bariatric surgery patients that need to be moved around for multiple caregiving tasks amplifies the level of stress placed on caregivers’ bodies. It calls for some little imagination to understand that the nursing injury impacts organizational and staffing costs associated with workers’ compensation, lost time, and, most importantly, the quality of care. At the same time, manual patient handling increases the risk of pain, repositioning injury, and adverse health outcomes.

Risk Of Injury

According to research, of all professional groups, healthcare has the most significant number of work-related injuries. Globally, 50 to 60 percent of healthcare professionals are suffering from muscular-skeletal disorders. Repositioning, lateral transfer and movement are the most cited patient handling tasks in clinical facilities, and if performed manually, they endanger both patient and staff health. The air-assisted transfer system, such as the SPH Medical Air Transfer System, presents a practical approach to mitigating repositioning injury risks and physical effort related to the performance of transfers while reducing healthcare costs and work-related injuries. It allows the release of low-pressure air via the perforated chambers within its transfer mattress. The system creates a thin air cushion under an inflated mattress to lower friction and protect the patient’s skin, leading to improved care and injury risk reduction.

Cost Implications

According to International Labor Organization (ILO), the economic impact of not investing in health and worker safety is approximately equal to the collective gross domestic product of the one hundred and thirty poorest nations globally. The organization revealed that 2.78 million workers die annually due to occupational illnesses and injuries. An estimated 2.4 million of these deaths are associated with work-related illnesses. The annual aggregate cost of these injuries, diseases, and deaths is $2.99 trillion or approximately 4% of global GDP. There is a worldwide recognition that some OSHA challenges require global solutions.

Legislation

The HGRC Specialty Subcommittee on Patient Movement has studied the application of patient movement and handling equipment within health facilities. In sharing its expertise and research, ILO shockingly established a lack of information and knowledge on the issue and a growing recognition among regulatory agencies and the healthcare industry of the need to address this concern. The healthcare industry, nurses labor unions, nurses’ associations, state and federal regulators, and state legislatures have argued in favor of the capital costs associated with bills mandating minimal lift policies and the adoption of Air Transfer Systems to mitigate caregiver injuries.

Several states have enacted patient handling resolutions or legislation. Moreover, Washington and Minnesota have committed funds for loan or grant programs to help acquire these devices. American Nurses Association (ANA) standards on Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) recommend that healthcare facilities focus on establishing a culture of safety, adopting and implementing the SPHM program, and installing and maintaining SPHM technology. Similarly, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also recommends the use of lateral sliding to aid lateral transfer to support patient movement and repositioning.

Benefits

The benefits accrued from the Air Transfer devices include the following:

They enhance the quality of life for both caregivers and patients and better patient outcomes.
There are multiple economic benefits that are enormous, especially those associated with cost implications for direct medical expenses incurred due to injury, lost time, and workers’ compensation.
They address the top two high risk tasks that cause injury to nurses, repositioning and lateral transfers.
They assist in the transfer of patients with exceedingly less exertion, keeping patients well-positioned and comfortable.
The Single Patient Use design of the Air Transfer Mattress supports the hospitals infection prevention program and significantly reduces the risk of cross-contaminating other patients or surfaces with deadly pathogens.
The SPH Medical Air Transfer System addresses all lateral transfer needs in Surgery, ICU, Medical floors, imaging and in Labor and Delivery units.
Air Transfer Systems also assist transport staff and all departments to promote workplace efficiency by improving patient throughput while reducing risk of injury.

Integrating air-powered transfer and positioning solutions will benefit staff, patients, and the entire industry through improving efficiencies, reducing costs, and will fundamentally improve patient satisfaction and care.

Contact SPH Medical to discuss implementing evidence based safe patient mobility solutions in your facility or department.

Patient Handling

Injury Prevention During Epidurals

by sphmedicaladmin August 25, 2021August 29, 2021

Nurse managers don’t typically think of injury prevention during epidurals being a major issue. But epidurals are about pain relief so why are nurses at risk of injury? This article will review the Epidural placement procedure, proper patient positioning for optimal patient outcomes and Safe Patient Handling solutions to reduce the risk of injury for the nurses that support this procedure.

What is an Epidural?

This procedure involves injecting a patient with epidural analgesia blocking the spinal nerve impulses around the lower back. Unlike anesthesia which leads to a total lack of feeling, an epidural provides analgesia or pain relief. For example, when used for mothers before or during childbirth, the purpose is to numb the pain in the lower body during the birthing process. Though the pain significantly reduced, the mother remains conscious and can still use her muscles to push out the baby when the time comes. The use of epidural injections greatly reduces pain during labor; however, an epidural does not eliminate all the pain during delivery, but the contractions will come with less intensity. And with an epidural comes the risk on injury to the staff and or nurse, injury prevention during epidurals is extremely important to the nursing staff.

What Is an Epidural Positioning Device?

The newest innovation to support the epidural procedure is the Epidural Positioning Device (EPD), sometimes known as the Epidural Positioning Chair. It is an assistive device used to position the patient properly that allows optimal access for the Epidural placement. It has a 180-degree adjustable face rest, six-position adjustable armrest, flexible range from floor, and adjustable torso support. The patient is held by the epidural device firmly yet correctly positioned.

How does the EPD help Patients?

Before doctors started using the Epidural Positioning Device, a nurse would stack pillows below the patient and hold her position as the anesthetist injected the lower back. There was a significant risk of injury for both the patient and the health personnel. The risk was mainly due to the patient, who would be hard to restrain while in extreme pain. The epidural chair allows the correct positioning of the patient by encouraging cervical, thoracic and lumbar flexion while still maintaining a solid and stable position, ensuring the patient is safe and secure.

How does the EPD help Nurses?

An epidural device is also used in other medical procedures where the epidural injection is required. The use of epidural chairs has improved efficiency in epidural medical procedures by supporting patients so that nurses don’t have to manually hold, support, push, pull or apply counter pressure during the procedure. The epidural chair eliminates the risk of injuries such as back pains and body strains that nurses are likely to endure when supporting patients. The EPDs serve to position the patient correctly and more efficiently while also increasing injury prevention during epidurals for the nursing staff. Absolving nurses from the pressure and physical load experienced when holding patients in position.

Epidural Analgesia

Epidural analgesia is a procedure used to relieve pain and is commonly used during the birthing process to those who don’t want to undergo pain during labor. Some of the advantages of the epidural pain relief procedure include:

Pain relief
Give the mother enough time to rest after the nine months of pregnancy
Help the mother to follow the birthing without much stress
It may help reduce postpartum depression
Epidural can be used at any stage of the labor
It is effective during lengthy surgical procedures

Some of the downsides experienced during and after the epidural pain relief procedure include the following:

Reduced coordination of movement as the legs may be a bit weak
Persistent positional headache, which may require treatment for rapid resolution
Lower back discomfort where the needle was placed
Severe lowering of blood pressure once the epidural process gets underway

Such risks will require the medical personnel, especially the anesthesiologist, to remain alert, checking the vital signs as the procedure continues. The procedure could also lead to neurological injury, though this is rare among the healthy obstetrical population.

Giving birth should be a beautiful experience, but some women may get anxious due to the anticipated pain. That is why every woman has the freedom to decide the type of birthing process she would like to go through, whether it’s normal delivery or epidural. Ultimately the choice will be with her, and it is expected she will make the best choice assisted by the medical personnel.

Patient Handling

Back Injury Prevention for Nurses

by sphmedicaladmin August 18, 2021August 20, 2021

There is an injury crisis going on in the healthcare industry. Nurses are suffering injuries at an alarming rate while performing lateral transfer, repositioning patients in their beds, and other common tasks. Many of the approximately 3 million Registered Nurses working in the US face daily hazards that put them at risk. A Veterans Health Administration study in 2000 revealed nurses were injured on average six times more often than workers in any other occupational group. And in 19.1% of the cases, they suffered back injuries and another 25.5% of them suffered upper extremity injuries caused by doing lateral transfers, lifting, repositioning, static holds, and moving patients. Back injury prevention for Nurses is highly over looked and can be implemented easily.

A High-Risk Occupation

Nursing is among the highest risk occupations when it comes to being injured because of lifting and moving and the repetitive tasks they perform on a daily basis. Combine their normal patient care duties with the fact that patients are getting heavier. Injury data shows no profession is more plagued by work-related back injuries and musculoskeletal disorders than nursing. Nurses suffer injuries at a rate that is double that of many other industries. Injury data shows 12% of nurses who work in hospitals and 17.3% who work in nursing homes suffer back and musculoskeletal work-related injuries each year. In many instances, it results in lost workdays and also forces many nurses to retire early or simply to leave the profession.

Two Simple Solutions

Two simple solutions that can help reduce the work-related injuries that nurses suffer include training programs that are focused on evidence based best practices for Safe Patient Handling that include the proper assessment of patients, lifting, repositioning, transferring, ambulating and moving patients safely with the appropriate specialized equipment. There are many good training programs that can teach nurses safe and effective ways to move even the heaviest patient and minimize if not eliminate the risk of injury to the nurse or the patient. Plus, there are also several new, easy-to-use pieces of equipment nurses can use to lift, move, transfer, hold a limb, reposition, and mobilize their patients quickly, safely, and efficiently without the risk of getting an injury.

Training Programs Help

Traditionally, nursing education has emphasized patient safety and not self-protection for nurses when doing the patient lifting, handling, and movement tasks. Few nurses were taught the NIOSH guidelines for use by workers who routinely lift loads weighing 51 pounds or more. Most programs in the past focused on the use of proper body mechanics. We now know that the use proper body mechanics is still important but cannot alone adequately reduce the risk of injury to nurses. Research shows that in healthcare facilities where nurses implemented an evidence based Safe Patient Handling program with the proper assistive solutions, musculoskeletal and back injuries to nurses fell by 70%, productivity increased, patients said they felt safer and there was higher nurse-patient satisfaction according to testimonials from families, patients, and nurses.

Patient Handling Equipment Makes A Dramatic Difference

According to OSHA, patient lifting equipment can reduce the injury risk for both nurses and patients by 95% while also improving the quality of care patients receive. Using patient lifting equipment is essential for safe patient handling and to prevent injuries from the two most injury causing tasks, a lateral transfer and repositioning (includes turning and boosting) a patient in bed. Assistive devices ensure patients can be safely repositioned, transferred from one surface to another, and moved while reducing the risk of injury to nurses by avoiding high-risk manual patient handling activities. Safe patient handling and mobility technology can preserve nurses’ independence and safety and improve patients’ healthcare experience.

Patient Transfer Devices

Repositioning patients in their beds or moving them between their bed and a stretcher, chair or wheelchair doesn’t have to be physically taxing or put nurses at risk of injury when lifting and transfer devices are used. There are air powered lateral transfer systems nurses can use to easily transfer patients from beds to stretchers on a cushion of air that’s underneath an inflated mattress. It reduces friction, letting patients float from one surface to another. Some of the top brands like SPH Medical, AirPal, and Hovermatt can help to make it a breeze for nurses to safely transfer, reposition and move patients from surface to surface. Departments like Labor and Delivery use the Air Transfer Mat by SPH Medical for patients getting a Cesarian Section (C-Section). The Air Transfer System makes it safe and comfortable to transfer the mom on and off the OB OR table. The surgery department uses the single patient use version of the SPH Medical Air Powered Transfer Mat for virtually all patients. Organizations like the Association of PeriOperative Registered Nurses, AORN, have included the recommendation to use Safe Patient Handling assistive solutions like the Air Transfer Mattress for all patients over 157 lbs when transferring patient to or from the OR table.

Thousands Of Preventable Injuries

Assistive patient transfer devices can help protect nurses nationwide from suffering an endless array of preventable back and musculoskeletal injuries that are caused by overexertion, repetitive patient handling tasks, or lifting patients improperly without the appropriate assistive solution while delivering patient care. One particularly dangerous high-risk task with which patient lifting and transport devices can help is ‘in-bed repositioning’. This is a common task nurses perform where they boost a patient up in bed and then turn them, some weighing 300 pounds or more, to put them in a better position in their beds and to offload pressure on bony prominences. Performing this task and manually transferring patients from their beds to other surfaces are common reasons nurses suffer approximately 40,000 back and countless musculoskeletal injuries each year.

A Very High Cost

Treating work-related injuries costs in excess of $29 million a year in direct costs. And there are many indirect, less visible costs that are difficult to measure, yet have a very significant impact on the finances and resources of the nurses and facilities in which they work. Some of these indirect costs include training new employees, on-boarding and overtime, that impact the healthcare facility’s finances and resources. Others include employee turnover, loss of morale, productivity, incident investigation time and patient safety. Plus, the cost to replace a nurse can range anywhere between $27,000 to $103,000 each. This means it is much more cost-effective to invest in Safe Patient Handling education with the appropriate patient transferring, lifting and mobility devices to prevent nursing injuries from predictable high risk and high frequency tasks like lateral transfers and repositioning.

Contact SPH Medical to discuss your Safe Patient Handling program and take steps to reduce the risk of injury to your nursing staff by implementing evidence based solutions that staff will enjoy using.

Reduce Injuries and Infections with SPH Medials Air Transfer Mat

Patient Handling

The Benefits of Air Transfer Mattress Technology

by sphmedicaladmin August 10, 2021August 12, 2021

In the United States, hospitals and nursing homes have become deadly businesses. Hospital injury rates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, are approximately double those in all other private enterprises, that is, all non-governmental organizations. For example, in 2016, hospitals reported a rate of 5.9 non-fatal workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers, compared to 2.9 non-fatal workplace injuries per 100 full-time workers across all industries in the United States. In addition, hospitals have a greater rate of injuries that need time off work than the construction and manufacturing industries. Safety features in friction-reducing devices such as the SPH Medical Air Transfer Mattress reduce the risk of injury to the patient and nursing staff.

Materials and Methods of Safe Patient Handling

The implementation of safe patient handling programs has helped hospitals reduce patient positioning injuries. Because of these efforts, numerous hospitals and hospital systems have witnessed considerable reductions in patient handling injuries. For example, lateral transfer is one of the most common patient-handling tasks. A lateral transfer occurs when a patient is moved from one surface to another, from a bed to another bed or from a bed to a medical cart. Historically, this movement has been done with a small number of staff members, and much of the force is often exerted by caregivers dragging across the surface to which the patient is being transported; hence putting the caregiver at risk of injury, which is most often to the shoulders and lower back. In addition, caregivers perform lateral transfers without knowing how much force is required, putting them at risk of harm. Some of the ways of handling lateral transfers include:

Draw sheet
Simplification of transfer across horizontal surfaces for lateral transfers was traditionally performed with a draw sheet underneath the patient. However, previous biomechanical studies have shown that utilizing a draw sheet to execute lateral transfers exposes caregivers to high spine pressures and necessitates a significant amount of external force. In addition, when employing a draw sheet, the disc’s compression force can surpass the maximum acceptable threshold of 3,400 Newtons, as defined by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

Friction-reducing devices
Using a friction-reducing transfer significantly reduces the amount of force required while performing transfers. Therefore, some recommended devices include sliding sheets, sliding boards, slip sheets or roller sheets. Although friction-reducing devices reduce the amount of effort required to perform lateral transfers, the overall force is still much more than the acceptable pushing and pulling limitations. Therefore, the ability of friction-reduction transfer devices is limited to minimizing pull forces and spinal force compression. Many of these devices do not adequately reduce risk of injury for some hospital programs.

Air-assisted devices
Air-assisted devices are a form of friction-reducing devices recommended for safe patient handling. AirPal invented this device, but other companies have created their versions of it. HoverMatt, for example, makes air-assisted devices, and since introducing the disposable or single patient use transfer mattress, their business has grown enormously. Air-assisted systems were developed to improve the safety, efficiency, and security of lateral transfers. As a result, air-assisted devices are rated substantially higher by caregivers than any other helpful equipment. Air-assisted systems not only minimize friction but also give support and comfort. As a result, nurses may more easily boost, reposition, and transfer patients, reducing the risk of strains, sprains, and career-ending back injuries for everyone.

Why Is the Air Transfer Mattress Recommended Over Other Friction-Reducing Devices?

With so many lateral patient transfer devices on the market, deciding one is the best fit for you and your institution can be difficult. The air transfer mattress is one of the most popular transfer devices. Air assist technology’s advantages have been thoroughly documented and proved. When the air blower unit is turned on, the air is blown out via the perforated holes in the bottom of the mattress. Friction between the mattress and the adjacent surface is reduced by the force of air passing through these tiny openings. Because there is less friction, the mattress may be moved more easily.

Safety features in friction-reducing devices such as the SPH Medical Air Transfer Mattress reduce the risk of injury to the patient and nursing staff. To improve patient security during transfer, two safety straps are connected over the patient. Disposable protective covers are available for the mattress which helps keep the transfer mattress clean between procedures. The launderable versions of Air Transfer Mattresses are typically water-resistant and free of latex. Another noteworthy safety aspect is that the mattress first inflates around the perimeter before moving on to the center to inflate and lift the patient safely. Thus, it acts as a cradle for the patient and helps to prevent tipping.

Some of the benefits of using an air transfer system include:
Safety and comfort
During transfers, air-assisted technology increases patient and caregiver safety and comfort. With less skin shear and bruising, lateral air transfer provides the patient with improved comfort and safety. The action of intra-hole communication redistributes the pull/push forces uniformly for a safe and easy transmission.
Stable positioning
The patient is moved into a more secure position by the inflated mattress, which reduces skin shear and bruising. Caregivers may securely move patients without lifting or straining since the mattress and the patient float on a cushion of air. By practically reducing lateral transfers and repositioning-related accidents.
Compatibility
It’s designed to withstand repeated applications and the toughest transfers for a wide range of patient characteristics. For artifact-free imaging, it’s radiolucent and MRI compatible.
Availability
Available in a variety of shapes and widths, with a weight restriction of 1200 pounds to fit most patients. The proprietary technology profiles and self-adjusts to each patient automatically. This allows for a balanced redistribution of the patient’s body weight, resulting in the safest and simplest patient transfer possible.
Significant cost savings
Previously, a significant amount of money was spent on various lateral transfers mechanisms, which were expensive and difficult to keep the appropriate supply on hand. The SPH Medical Lateral Transfer Mattress is a more cost effective option allowing the necessary inventory to be kept on hand to help reduce staff injuries.

Additionally, when you use an air transfer system, the additional expenditures of bearing direct cost of injury are considerably reduced. While satisfying statutory criteria for safe patient care, the Air Transfer System considerably aids in staff retention, improvement in staff morale, and improvement in overall efficiency of patient care and patient throughput for busy surgical departments.
Infection protection
SPH Medical offers a full range of single patient use, launderable and reusable Air Transfer Mattresses in various shapes and sizes that are all compatible with the most common air supplies on the market. The complete Air Transfer System includes the Air Transfer Mattress, an air supply with hose and power cord, and an optional transport stand. For Hospitals that are focused on reducing hospital acquired infections, the single patient use Air Transfer Mattresses have been the most common version implemented. Reducing infections and workplace injuries together is a win-win for everyone.

Contact SPH Medical to discuss reducing risk of injury to staff and patients in your facility.

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A High-Risk Occupation

Two Simple Solutions

Training Programs Help

Patient Handling Equipment Makes A Dramatic Difference

Patient Transfer Devices

Thousands Of Preventable Injuries

A Very High Cost

Materials and Methods of Safe Patient Handling

Why Is the Air Transfer Mattress Recommended Over Other Friction-Reducing Devices?

Infection Prevention

Early Mobility

Air Transfer Systems

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