A clinical evaluation of the air-fluidised bed in a general plastic surgery unit.

Over a period of seven months nine patients were nursed on an air-fluidised bed. Measurements showed that skin-bed interface pressures were significantly lower on this bed than on a conventional hospital bed, particularly over the areas of the highest pressure. Whilst the bed did not shorten the patients' hospital stay, it did simplify nursing and improve patient comfort, especially in burns cases. Perhaps even more important was the observation that with correct use of the bed, no new pressure sores developed and established sores did not become worse.