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SPH Medical is a leading provider of solutions focused on reducing risk of injury to patient handling staff, and reducing hospital acquired infections and pressure ulcers.

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.

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.

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.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Preventing Nursing injuries in Labor and Delivery during COVID-19

by sphmedicaladmin

Preventing Nursing Injuries in Labor and Delivery During COVID-19

SPH Medical works with healthcare facilities to implement safe patient handling solutions to protect our frontline caregivers and help with preventing nursing injuries. SPH Medical does this by evaluating current patient handling tasks and processes and helping hospitals modify high risk tasks to improve staff and patient safety. A variety of proven assistive solutions and supplies can help mobilize or transfer patients safely while protecting both patients and caregivers from injury and infections. A key focus in Labor and Delivery units is to reduce workplace injuries by reducing manual patient handling during lateral transfer and epidural placement. These are two high risk tasks that occur predictably every day.

Equipment and Supplies

Within hospitals, staff continue to care for patients affected by Covid-19, along with dangerous c. diff, MRSA and COVID-19 concerns. The typical laundry system in hospitals is generally not capable of quickly or effectively sanitizing specialized or hospital-owned equipment. Hospitals therefore often outsource their laundry to external laundry providers. Unfortunately these external laundry systems often loos expensive hospital-owned goods like transfer devices. The infection prevention team within the hospital often recommends that single-use equipment be used when possible to move patients. Single use disposable supplies, such as gloves, gowns, and masks, are also required to help minimize infection transmission between patients. In today’s COVID environment all healthcare employees should be wearing an appropriate N95 Mask like SPH Medical’s Makrite 9500-N95. This N95 Mask is an FDA approved Surgical mask which is ideal for nurses and doctors.

Labor and Delivery

Expectant mothers want to be able to give birth in a safe and infection-free environment. The infection prevention nurse in every hospital is working hard to make sure that the Labor and Delivery unit is safe for mothers and their babies. Even in today’s environment, 31% of expecting mothers continue to receive c-section procedures.

In preparation for a C-section procedure, labor and delivery staff must administer an epidural to the patient’s lower back. The patient is typically asked to sit at the side of the bed in a flexed cat position or forward fold position. This position allows the anesthesiologist to access the intervertebral space with the epidural injection accurately. Unfortunately the nurse is often required to hold or support the nervous mother in this position. If the patient moves suddenly or falls forward the nurse may be injured. Positioning Device solves this by providing support to the patient and reducing the nurse’s need to provide a static hold for extended periods.

SPH Medical’s Epidural Positioning Device, or EPD for short, can assist with the patient’s proper positioning, improve comfort, and needle placement without the need to position them manually. The use of the EPD reduces the staff’s risk of musculoskeletal injuries as well as provides patients with the amount of stability needed for receiving an epidural with less risk of complications. Patients feel safer with the EDP.

C-Sections and Lateral Transfers

With c-section procedures come many repeated manual patient handling tasks that put nurses at risk. Patient positioning during the epidural injection is simply one of the many procedures that put our nurses at risk daily. Lateral transfers to and from the OB OR table is high frequency task that puts nurses at risk of injury.

It is very predictable that all c-section patients will need to be transferred off the OB OR table and some may need assistance scooting over to the table especially after an epidural. The patient is unable to help move themselves across to the table when they can not feel the lower half of their body. The nursing and OR team must determine how to safely transfer the patient to and from the OR table. What equipment is available to help with this? AORN recommends an air powered lateral transfer solution for all patients over 157 lbs in perioperative areas.

Lateral Transfer Devices Help with Preventing Nursing Injuries

A variety of lateral transfer equipment is available on the market to help move patients carefully to and from beds, gurneys, or tables. These devices are often referred to as Friction Reducing Devices or FRD’s. The old style “slider board” is not viewed as an effective means of preventing staff injuries. Slider boards don’t reduce friction to safe levels. Slide sheets like SPH Medical’s Easy Slide Disposable, for example, reduce the overall amount of friction during the transfer process. Slide sheets are available in several styles, such as flat with handles and tube style, launderable or disposable. These can be used in conjunction with a slider board for increased friction reduction. A better solution is the Rollerslide. Rollerslide works like a conveyer belt that rolls the patient as the patient is transferred between the surfaces. Finally, the gold standard of lateral transfer equipment is the Air Powered Lateral Transfer system.  An Air Powered Lateral Transfer System virtually eliminates friction by blowing air downward through small holes on the transfer pad’s bottom side, which generates a thin cushion of air to float the patient from one surface to another.  The system makes the transfer process more comfortable for the patient and significantly reduces the risk of injury to the hospital staff moving the patient.

Summary

SPH Medical helps healthcare facilities implement practical safe patient handling solutions to protect frontline caregivers and help with preventing nursing injuries. These solutions are not limited to Labor and Delivery departments. SPH Medical is addressing patient handling and infection prevention throughout the entire continuum of care improving work. It is not about obesity or COVID-19. Patients and healthcare workers are our concern, with the improvement of patient results and in decreasing the chance for infection or injury.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Lateral Transfer System reduces COVID-19 Risk in Hospitals

by sphmedicaladmin

Transfer Patients Safely and Reduce Risk of COVID-19

Transfer patients safely and reduce the risk of COVID-19 and cross contamination with an Air Powered Lateral Transfer Device.

The Lateral Transfer Devices are an important tool so fewer staff members can help more patients safely.  Air powered lateral transfer systems offers a broad range of options to ensure that patients of all shapes and sizes can be transferred safely anywhere in the hospital.  As we look at how patients are moved in hospitals, 90% of the patient transfers are considered a lateral transfer.  A lateral transfer is moving a patient from one surface horizontally, either up in bed (as in boosting a patient) or over to another surface like an OR table, CT table, new bed or gurney.   There is a lot of risk for both patients and staff when it comes to transferring patients.  In fact lateral transfers due to their high frequency are a leading cause of work-related muskuloskeletal disorders.  Over time the strain on the lower back, upper back, neck shoulders, wrists can result in career ending injuries for our caregivers.

The System

The Air Powered Lateral Transfer system was invented more than 30 years ago to address these risks and to protect both our hospital staff and patients.  SPH Medical and has been working tirelessly to reduce the risk of infection and cross contamination during transfer by utilizing a single patient use disposable transfer pad.  This back saving technology also promotes infection prevention by allowing the transfer pad to stay with the patient who needs it for the length of their stay, and it can be disposed of or reprocessed after they no longer need it.

Each air powered transfer system is composed of the the transfer mattress, a motor, air hose, power cord and transport cart. The transfer pad also includes safety straps that connect over the patient to ensure safety during transfer, and pull handles all around the transfer pad.  The handles make the transfer mattress safe for caregivers in a variety of different settings to pull horizontally or boost up in bed.  The transfer mattress behaves much like a reverse air hockey table.  The perforated chambers allow for a cushion of air to support the patient and reduce friction between the transfer mattress and the surface below.  The transfer pad has optional disposable top sheets that can wick away moisture from the patient. The transfer mattress itself is moisture proof but some facilities like to protect it with the disposable coverlet so that it may remain unsoiled and more quickly available for the next transfer required.

The safety straps and pull handles improve both patient and staff safety.  The air hose and motor are designed as simply as possible to make the entire transfer process as efficient as possible so that caregivers may focus on safely moving the patient.

Designed for General Hospital Use

The air powered transfer system is designed for general hospital use, and has the features to adapt itself through Nursing, Radiology, CT Scan, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, as well as the Emergency Room, Operating and Recovery Room, and even the Oncology/Radiation Therapy departments.  Nursing will find this solution useful to accommodate lateral transfers of nearly all all patients and departmental procedures, due to the make-up of the materials of the TransferPad. The technical specifications of the reusable transfer mattresses offer special low friction fabric on the bottom layer and  are MRI and X-ray compatible, and are constructed out of flame-resistant material.

On procedure tables such as X-Ray and Nuclear medicine, the equipment itself may have narrow or wide surfaces that normally make transfer a challenge. The typical Air Powered Lateral Transfer System is designed to allow as few as two staff members along with the anesthetist to handle these challenging locations, freeing up the technicians from needing to assist with this part of the process.  When performing a transfer into a CT Scan, the flexibility of the Transfer Mattress allows the head region of the to be folded under itself so that a staff member may then cradle the patients head and lay it into the headrest to complete a head scan, where the staff member may deflate the Transfer Mattress, complete the scan, then turn the motor back on and replace the patient’s head with as little disruption as possible. The TransferPad itself has no metal parts and is designed so that it does not produce any artifact during the scan.  For MRI rooms, using an extended hose, the air supply can be left outside the room.

In the Emergency Room, the Transfer Mattress is likely best equipped with a Sani-Liner placed on a stretcher, where the patient may be placed directly upon arrival. If the patient arrives on a hard board, the procedure remains the same, which greatly increases speed and safety as the patient need not suffer extra movement until stabilized. Since the Transfer Mattress is radiolucent, the X ray cassettes may be slid underneath the Transfer Mattress, the patient can be easily maneuvered to their proper position, deflated for the X ray, then re-inflated and moved again to quickly reclaim the cassettes. In the Emergency Room, a disposable coverlet  will prevent excessive amounts of blood or bodily solutions coming in contact with the mattress.

Lateral Transfer Devices

The Lateral Transfer Device’s features are designed to address the high-risk tasks of transferring patients on or off beds; repositioning patients on beds; lifting and holding extremities, and otherwise reaching, lifting, and moving equipment that happens around the time of surgery or acute treatment for the patient. Experts in the fields of biomechanics, engineering, industrial hygiene, injury prevention, and perioperative nursing were engaged to ensure that the Lateral Transfer Device features were designed to respect these separate, complex fields of study. Representatives from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Patient Safety Center of Inquiry at the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the American Nurses Association were all involved in the development of this product.

According AORN’s new Safe Patient Handling Guidelines, the Air Powered Transfer Device should be used for all patients over 73lbs.  The Lateral Transfer Device allows one or two staff members to perform the tasks that typically would require four to eight people to complete safely.

Given the stress on personnel and their backs, necks, and shoulders, the tasks associated with moving patients must be minimized as much as possible. This system’s technology was created to keep the patient transfer process as safe and simple as possible for both the patient and the caregiver.

Hospital results when working with SPH Medical and utilizing single patient use solutions: 

  • Reduced risk of infection and cross contamination
  • Improved staff morale and efficiency
  • Dramatically reduced staff injuries (MSDs) and worker’s compensation costs
  • Increased patient comfort and reduced patient anxiety with transfers
  • Enhanced infection control in patient handling procedures
  • Lower cost
  • Safer for patient’s skin
SPH Medical EPD 4
CategoriesInfection Prevention,  Patient Handling

The EPD and Air Transfer System Improve Patient and Staff Safety

by sphmedicaladmin

SPH Medical is Improving Safety for Hospital Staff and Patients

SPH Medical is here to improve patient staff safety in labor and delivery and surgical units with the Epidural Positioning Device and the air transfer system.

COVID-19 is putting our healthcare workers at risk. Manually handling patients under normal conditions is known to put our nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers at risk. Now more than ever hospital staff need to have the right tools to help move, support, lift and transfer patients. The EPD and air powered lateral transfer system improve patient and staff safety especially during this time of heightened concern about infection prevention.

SPH Medical Provides Safe Patient Handling Solutions to Healthcare Facilities

SPH Medical provides Safe Patient Handling solutions to healthcare facilities which means that we protect our frontline caregivers by preventing infection and injuries.

Within Hospitals nurses are being asked to care for patients infected with Cov-Sars2 and other deadly viral and bacterial infections. In order to deal with these deadly infections the Infection Control Nurse within the hospital mandates that single patient use devices are used where possible to lift move and transfer patients. Single patient use items are essentially disposable items that are patient specific, which means that they don’t get used with other patients. The outside laundry system generally isn’t trusted with returning specialized items or hospital owned items back to the hospital so then hospital is forced to use “disposable” items where possible to minimize the risk of infection to other patients. At times this can seem costly, but the risk and cost of hospital acquired infections and and nursing injuries is well with the investment.

How Does this Relate to One of the Most Important Departments in the Hospital?

The Labor and Delivery department is where new mothers give birth to their children in what should be safe and infection free environment.

A large percentage of mothers are continuing to get cesarean section procedures (cite sources and %) even in today’s COVID-19 environment.

With the c-section procedure comes several high-frequency patient handling tasks that Put our nurses and doctors at risk every day, lateral transfers to the OB OR table and patient positioning during the epidural injection procedure.

First the Epidural. Positioning the patient in the proper position for the injection puts our nurses at risk of injury. (See other blog posts we’ve written). We solve this my by making the patient comfortable and eliminating the static holding by the nurse with the Epidural Positioning Device.

Once the patient has received the epidural successfully and the are ready to be moved to the OB OR for the C-section procedure that staff have to plan how to move the patient on and off the table safely. Keep in mind the patient can’t scoot across to the table. They can’t feel their lower half! The staff need to use a assistive tool to transfer the patient safely on and off the OR table. What solutions are available to accomplish this?

Lateral Transfer Devices Available on the Market

There are a variety of lateral transfer devices available on the market to help transfer patients safely to and from beds, gurneys, OR tables, and Imaging Tables.

There are simple Friction Reducing Devices such as slide sheets (“easy slide disposable“ from SPH Medical) Available in many styles: flat sheets with handles, tube style sheets, there are lateral transfer boards made out of plastic also called slider boards – these are not ideal as they don’t significantly reduce friction to safe levels, there are roller boards like the Rollerslide by SPH Medical which act like a conveyer belt moving with the patient. Finally the gold standard of lateral transfer solutions is the air powered lateral transfer system which floats the patient on a comfortable layer of air between the two surfaces. This   makes the transfer process not only more comfortable for the patient but also eliminates risk of injury to the nursing and hospital staff performing the transfer. You can find a well documented clinical evaluation on Friction Reducing Devices here by Andrea Baptiste, MA, CIE, Sruthi V. Boda, MS, Audrey L. Nelson, PhD, RN, FAAN, John D. Lloyd, PhD, MErgS, CPE, and William E. Lee, III, PhD.

All Employees Should be Wearing the Appropriate Fluid Rated N95 Respirators

All employees should be wearing the appropriate fluid rated N95 respirators like the Makrite 9500-N95 which is FDA 510K approved for use as a surgical mask.

Summary

The EPD and air powered transfer system improve patient and staff safety. SPH Medical provides a total solution to reduce risks of infection and injury to our frontline caregivers in Labor and Delivery and throughout the hospital. This is not limited to Labor and Delivery departments. We are addressing similar risks throughout the entire hospital and continuum of care helping to create new standards for safety and protection of our healthcare workers. This is not about obesity and COVID. This is about caring for every patient and every nurse to improve patient outcomes and reduce risks of Infection and injury related to MSD’s and high-risk, high-frequency patient care tasks.

Please contact SPH Medical to learn more about improving safety in Labor and Delivery with air transfer systems and the EPD. To learn more about the Makrite N95 Mask options including the 9500-N95 and the SEKURA-N95.

CategoriesInfection Prevention,  Patient Handling

Makrite N95 Surgical Mask protects Nurses and Doctors

by sphmedicaladmin

The Vital Importance of Using N95 Masks in the Battle Against Covid-19 and Where to Get Them

For people on the front line in the healthcare battle against Covid-19 and this global pandemic, personal safety is a big concern. While most medical professionals love their job, the virus has brought a different level of fear into the field of medicine.  The Makrite N95 Mask is making a difference.

The Difficulty of Being a Medical Professional During the Coronavirus Pandemic

COVID 19 VirusWhether you are a doctor, nurse, physician assistant, or nurses-aid, being in the medical field during a deadly pandemic is highly stressful. In addition to having concerns over providing the best in medical diagnostics and care, the pandemic puts healthcare workers at high risk for catching the virus. This is one of the most challenging concerns for healthcare workers who are often stressed with excessive work hours, exhaustion, and emotional stressors from caring for the very ill.

In hotspots, the risk of catching the Coronavirus is much higher than in areas where the cases have stabilized. That is why it is essential for people in the healthcare industry to be continuously alert to changes in the virus case levels in their area.

The Best Frontline Protection Against Covid-19

There are several important things that front line healthcare workers can do to significantly reduce their risk of catching the virus. The use of personal protective equipment, also known as PPE and the use of disinfectants and continuous hand washing or sanitizing them, is vital to helping frontline healthcare workers remain safe while at work.

The Surprising Challenges of the Pandemic

Since approximately 40 percent of people who have the virus are asymptomatic, healthcare workers have to be very diligent, not to assume that because someone is not displaying symptoms means they are virus-free. Healthcare workers need to be careful to protect themselves on and off the job and follow all recommended guidelines when they are off work in their personal lives. This should include wearing a face mask and following all social distancing guidelines.

The Importance of Using N95 Masks at Work

makrite n95 surgical maskBecause this Coronavirus is spread through droplets and is now known to be aerosolized, the use of face shields and N95 face masks and coverings while at work are essential tools in frontline defense against the virus.

Unlike cloth face masks, an N95 respirator mask is specially designed to block up to 95% of all, dust, bacteria, and virus air particles. This bacterial filtration makes the Makrite N95 Mask mask a vital tool in the battle of the Coronavirus for frontline healthcare workers because they are exposed to infected and potentially-infected people for many hours a day.

N95 Mask Pandemic Supplies

Before the current Coronavirus pandemic, availability for N95 type respirator face masks was sufficient for the need. These masks are traditionally used in the medical, construction, and industrial industries. However, because the global demand for these masks has skyrocketed since February, the supply has been insufficient to meet the rising demand. Since so many of these masks have been made outside of America, the country has found itself competing for global supplies.

One of the premier N95 respirator mask designs is the 3M 1860 surgical mask. This is the most common N95 respirator used in the medical industry. However, with dwindling supplies available, many medical health facilities have been caught off guard trying to find a comparable replacement.

The good news is the Makrite 9500-N95 is a top of the line NIOSH Certified N95 Respirator that is FDA Cleared for use as a Surgical Mask. The Makrite N95 Mask is is a high-quality replacement for the 3M 1860 (that no one can seem to find anywhere). That means that the Makrite 9500-N95 NIOSH Certified N95 surgical mask is specially designed for use in the medical field to prevent the spread of aerosolized particles that may cause disease and infection, such as the new strain of coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. Receiving the approval from the FDA for use as a surgical mask means that it is tested for fluid resistance which is important in this era of aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 particles.

N95 Respirator Mask Medical Facility Distribution

SPH Medical B1 In Action - Schools 3In the ongoing battle against the Coronavirus, many hospitals and medical facilities have significant concerns about locating a reliable supplier for medical-grade N95 respirators. Facilities who choose Makrite for their respirators want to ensure they can have continuous access to Makrite 9500-N95 top of the line NIOSH Certified N95 surgical mask supplies directly from a factory distributor.

If you are looking for an authorized distributor for the Makrite N95 Mask NIOSH Certified and FDA cleared as a surgical mask, SPH Medical is a trusted supplier that can ensure a continuous supply for your medical facility. SPH Medical sources its’ supplies directly from the manufacturer. For medical facilities, dental providers, fire, police, and other healthcare providers in need of a smaller medical-grade respirator, SPH is also a supplier for the smaller N95 respirator, the Makrite 9500-N95S that is an excellent replacement for the 3M 1860S which 3M manufactures.

Fit Testing

Which mask is right for your employees?  Not everyone has the same facial morphology so naturally one mask doesn’t really fit all. This is one of the reasons that the small size 9500-N95S was developed. Learn more about Fit Testing from OSHA here.

SPH Medical also is an excellent source for other essential PPE such as Isolation Gowns, 3-ply masks, Nitrile Gloves, hand sanitizer, and single patient use Air Powered lateral transfer pads, slings, and repositioning sheets. For nearly a decade, SPH has been a widely recognized supplier of infection prevention, safety solutions, and PPE to America’s medical facilities.   Please contact SPH Medical to learn more about the Makrite N95 Mask.

CategoriesPatient Handling

N95 Masks Goggles Isolation Gowns and Essential Supplies

by sphmedicaladmin

With the COVID-19 virus spreading throughout the community there is continued pressure on our healthcare system, nurses, caregivers and first responders to address the infected patients and protect themselves at the same time.

SPH Medical is meeting the needs of the healthcare community during this time of short supply and high demand by providing essential supplies to protect our healthcare workers and patients alike.

Recent stories in the press have surfaced regarding hospitals being charged exorbitant amounts for N95 masks. We’ve solved this problem by working with an approved FDA manufacturer to deliver N95 masks in bulk to health systems and facilities.

With a daily manufacturing capability of 500,000 masks we are helping meet the supply demand that has been previously unaddressed.

Contact SPH Medical to get more information about critical supplies, disinfectants and residual surface protectants to reduce the risk of cross contamination and spread of Coronavirus.

Explore using the AUVS UV Box to disinfect N95 masks, goggles, phones, tablets and other small medical devices.

Utilize our two step disinfect and protect methodology and COVID-19 disinfection services to make your environment safe for patients, employees, customers, and family members.

Implement the Halo Fogger or Electrostatic sprayers to thoroughly disinfect your living and workspace.

SPH Medical is here to protect you now when it counts!

SPH Medical N95 Masks and Supplies 2020

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