(For the truly bored) Water beds vs. pressure ulcers: A thing or nah?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in CMSRN, hospice.

So my boyfriend and I have been having a fun-filled debate since we met about whether water beds could help prevent pressure ulcers. (Long story, but we discuss this every now and again for kicks and giggles. I'm a nurse, we met through work but he is not clinical, if that's somehow relevant.) Anyway, I think it wouldn't do much, but there is no argument I've made so far that will convince him to abandon his theory! Does anyone here know of any research into this matter? Or can anyone articulate an argument for why it wouldn't make a difference? (Or heck, if I'm wrong, tell me that!)

For all I know, this is already a thing, but last time I googled it, I didn't find much weighing in on either side. We were just wondering if anyone here had any thoughts we hadn't considered!

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Does Improvised Waterbed Reduce the Incidence of Pressure Ulcers in Patients with Spinal Injury? = Yes

However, feedback from people who have used waterbeds is that transferring out of a waterbed and dressing, mobility, etc can be difficult.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4566317/

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

Not from the USA, but good analysis:

https://www.alliedacademies.org/articles/analysis-of-pressure-relieving-mechanisms-for-the-prevention-of-decubitus-ulcers.html

Apparently, the waterbeds are mass marketed with the goal of pressure wounds treatment/prevention from 1970th, despite of paucity in studies.

I'd seen chronically bedridden patients using waterbeds or even Clinitrons at home when I was in LTACH. By themselves, the beds did not solve the problem of those appearing-out-of-thin -air bedsores from sheets' wrinkles. Those patients in general had much less bedsores than it would be expected in their situation (usually permanent vegetative condition on vents) but they received the most meticulous care 24/7 and were turned more frequently than prescribed Q2h. In fact, most of them had almost pristine skin as long as they were well cared for and their nutrition was as close to ideal as it was possible. I really think that it was not so much for the bed as for level of care to keep them alive and (mostly) well for years and even decades. Once something changed (usually, a person who was supervising the care with a good degree of clinically significant OCD got sick or was otherwise removed for some reason) the patient's condition deteriorated in days despite of being in the very same bed.

Although, when once we had a working Clinitron torn, it was quite literal description of s*** hitting the fan. I am afraid to think what torn waterbed would look like.

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On 8/1/2020 at 9:12 AM, KatieMI said:

Although, when once we had a working Clinitron torn, it was quite literal description of s*** hitting the fan. I am afraid to think what torn waterbed would look like.

On a related note, imagine trying to run a code with an intubated/immobile patient on a waterbed. ?

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