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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

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

CategoriesPatient Handling

Patient Positioning During Thoracentesis Solved

by sphmedicaladmin

Major Advancements in Safe Patient Positioning during Thoracentesis

Over the past two decades we have seen major advancements in patient care. This includes many new Safe Patient Handling Solutions developed to help our nurses and caregivers avoid the risk injury. Manual patient handling is one of the leading causes of back injuries for nurses. Many States have put laws in place to mandate that hospitals have a Safe Patient Handling program. This includes evaluating all inpatient units for high risk tasks that involve lifting, pushing, pulling, or prolonged static holds. Then the hospital should evaluate solutions to mitigate the risk. Here we are in 2020 and manual patient handling has not been eliminated yet!

We have been receiving phone calls from hospitals around the country describing a very common procedure. It is putting their ultrasound/imaging team at risk of injury on a daily basis. The procedure is called Thoracentesis and the issues are patient positioning during Thoracentesis.

Thoracentesis is also known as thoracocentesis or pleural tap. It is an invasive procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural space for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. A cannula, or hollow needle, is carefully introduced into the thorax, generally after administration of local anesthesia.

One Ultrasound Manager at leading hospital found our website and the EPD – or Epidural Positioning Device. She contacted us and thought this would be perfect for their situation.

Here’s a brief description:

This hospital sees both inpatients and outpatients for Thora’s (That’s short for Thoracentesis). They’re performing about 3-6 procedures per day, seven days a week.

A Nurse or LPN helps assist to position the patient. The patient is seated on a gurney or table. The Nurse brings over a stool to support their feet. Then moves a bedside tray table over in front of the patient. Next they stack the table with pillows so the patient can lean on it comfortably. But, the table does not lock and it is a tip hazard!

We found this reference card on the web describing the old fashioned manual positioning of patients during Thora’s

thoracentesis Nursing Care Patient Prep

Which patients are getting Thoracentesis? There are many types of patients with varying diagnoses that need to undergo this procedure. People get “plural effusion” which is fluid around the lungs. A large number of patients are cancer patients but many are also heart and infections.

Thoracentesis Procedure

Thoracentesis procedure

How are we solving this predictable procedure and all the manual patient handling – static holds, fall risk, etc? The SPH Medical Epidural Positioning Device is the key. It was designed by an anesthesiologist to help position patients properly and to open up the spine for ideal needle placement of an Epidural or Spinal Block. It has now become the standard of care for L&D and surgery departments. Now the Radiology/Imaging department has discovered it and we’re helping the ultrasound team and Pulmonologists position patients safely and efficiently.

We have few photos from a recent customer that has implemented the EPD. Here are the before and after photos. Please feel free to Contact us for more information about the EPD and Thora’s. We would be happy to connect you with to our customers who are now using the EPD for all of their Thora’s and creating a safer environment for their staff and patients.

Thoras Before

A Typical Thoracentesis set up with a stool and non-locking tray table with pillows.

Thoras After with EPD

Now with the EPD – Ergonomic patient positioning that supports the patient safely and eliminates manual handling!

CategoriesPatient Handling

Keeping Staff and Patients Safe in OR and Radiology with the EPD

by sphmedicaladmin

The EPD and E-EPD were developed to reduce the risk of injuries and improve safety among staff and patients. By implementing the use of EPDs, hospitals can actively protect their staff and improve patient outcomes.

E-EPD-IMG_3584

Safe Patient Handling

EPDs are used in numerous medical settings including labor and delivery, general surgery, operating rooms, anesthesiology, radiology and orthopedic departments. These are all settings in which epidurals, spinal blocks, x-rays and Thoracentesis procedures are performed. Keeping patients safe and comfortable while avoiding injuries is an extremely important factor for every medical facility. EPDs correctly and effectively position patients to do just that. They create a sturdy, steady and comfortable place to assist in holding patients in place while their procedure is performed.

Reducing Risks to Staff 

Hospitals and medical facilities are responsible for keeping their nurses and support staff safe. Plans to keep staff injury-free include providing them with the right tools. EPDs eliminate back pain and body strain that nurses can endure while assisting with tradition positioning methods associated with epidurals and like procedures. It is important to keep nurses and hospital staff healthy and performing at their best. EPDs make this easy. They position and support patients correctly and easily so that nurses don’t have the pressure and physical load of holding patients in a stable position for a long period of time. This can cause a lot of strain and be uncomfortable, especially if the patient is larger than the nurse.

Download EPD Package Data Sheet

Download E-EPD Data Sheet

EPDs_hallway-1

EPDs and E-EPDs are a clearly defined safety need in hospitals. Not only do they keep patients safe, they help keep the hospital staff safe as well. They help eliminate errors, injuries and accidents which directly increases patient and nurse satisfaction. EPDs are easy to implement and use, making it a simple decision when it comes to protecting staff and patients.

 

Contact SPH Medical for more information about supporting your patient and staff safety goals.

info@sphmedical.com

1-844-377-4633

www.sphmedical.com

CategoriesPatient Handling

Overweight Patients and Epidurals

by sphmedicaladmin

Obesity is a global epidemic. It is estimated that over 50% of pregnant woman in the United States are overweight or obese. Compared to normal weight patients, an obese patient is more prone to a number of complications during pregnancy and delivery including higher rates of cesarean section. And with c-sections, comes the administration of epidurals.

shutterstock_392645860via Shutterstock

Epidural catheter placement in bariatric patients can be more challenging because the spine can be harder to find and pinpoint where the puncture needs to be placed.

“Because it’s difficult to get in, in the first place, it’s not exactly in the right spot and if it’s not in the right spot the function tends to be poor,” says Dr. Victoria Eley, an anesthetist working at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

Because epidural complications and challenges are more common in overweight patients, it is especially important for doctors to position these patients in the most precise way they can to achieve a positive outcome. SPH Medical’s EPD (Epidural Positioning Device) was designed to do just that and help reduce some potential epidural placement risks.


The EPD and E-EPD correctly and comfortably position patients up to 600 pounds to receive an epidural by encouraging cervical, thoracic and lumbar flexion while maintaining a solid and stable position. EPDs provide doctors with a safer and more efficient way to help patients receive a successful epidural by allowing optimal body mechanics to be achieved through the controlled device. It has been found to be very helpful in assisting doctors and medical staff with overweight patients by  improving patient comfort needs and outcomes and reducing inefficiencies and stress on both the patient and the medical staff.

Obese and overweight patients can be harder to move, position correctly and hold steady for the administration of the epidural. The hassle-free EPD can eliminate these issues because it can be brought right to the patient and adjusted according to their height and size. The weight of the patient can be transferred to the locked EPDs rather than onto the assistant, nurse or unsteady pillow, which can cause stress, unstable positioning and failed epidurals.

 

E-EPD (Electric Epidural Positioning Device)

The EPD and E-EPD were designed to improve overall safety and reduce risks associated with epidural placements in an effective and efficient way. It is a great solution for making an already difficult process a little less difficult, especially in overweight or obese patients.

Download EPD
Package Brochure

 

Download E-EPD Brochure

 

Contact SPH Medical for more information about supporting your patient and staff safety goals.

info@sphmedical.com

1-844-377-4633

www.sphmedical.com

CategoriesPatient Handling

Implementing an Early Patient Mobility Protocol

by sphmedicaladmin

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has published a facilitator guide for developing and implementing your own nursing-driven Early Patient Mobility Protocol.

Mobilize patients safely and prevent falls with SPH Medical’s RoWalker.

The powerpoint version of the facilitator guide can be found at www.sphmedical.com on the RoWalker page.

The RoWalker is unique because it not only provides the platform upon which to build your early patient mobility program, it supports all of the equipment needed to mobilize a deconditioned ICU patient, challenging them to take more steps, and as a safety device it helps reduce the risk of patient falls.

The patient and family response to the RoWalker has been overwhelmingly positive.  We’ve received comments like “you were able to get my 90 year old dad up and walking and he was smiling” and also “the family liked it so much they want to take one home!”

Whatever stage your early patient mobility program is in, put the RoWalker to use and you will find staff more engaged and willing to get difficult patients up and walking while patients benefit from improved function, reduced fall risk and reduced length of stay.

Contact SPH Medical for more information about supporting your patient mobility goals.

info@sphmedical.com

1-844-377-4633

www.sphmedical.com

Download the RoWalker Brochure
CategoriesPatient Handling

Banner Health installs SPH Medical patient lifts in Banner University Medical Center Projects

by sphmedicaladmin

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/facilities-management/banner-university-medical-center-to-open-16-story-tower-nov-6.html

Banner Health is opening their state of the art hospital in downtown Phoenix, Arizona equipped with the latest Safe Patient Handling solutions from SPH Medical to reduce risk of injury to staff and to improve patient care. Banner University Medical Center Phoenix has incorporated overhead ceiling lifts in approximately half of the rooms of the new tower.

Using the new ceiling lifts will enable nursing staff to boost, turn, and transfer patients safely while reducing risk of injury to staff. The hospital will be using the new breathable repositioning sheet that can stay under patients for extended periods of time.


 

The breathable sheet for repositioning in use:

For more information about SPH Medical visit www.sphmedical.com, or contact us via email info@sphmedical.com.

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