Biomechanics of Patient Handling Slings Associated with Spinal Cord Injuries

• Main Author: Kahn, Julie
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholar Commons 2013
• Subjects: Interface Pressure; Patient Safety and Healthcare Provider Safety; Pressure Mapping; Pressure Ulcers; Skin Integrity; Engineering
• Online Access: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4702; http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5899&context=etd

Pressure ulcers and related skin integrity threats are a significant problem in current transfer/transport systems used for spinal cord injury patients. To understand this problem twenty-three different slings with varying type, material, and features were analyzed in hopes to identify at-risk areas for skin integrity threats such as pressure ulcers. Population samples included non-disabled (otherwise referred to as "healthy") volunteers as well as SCI patients from the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. High resolution pressure interface mapping was utilized to directly measure the interface pressures between the patient and sling interface. Overall results provide relevant feedback on the systems used and to suggest a particular type of sling that might reduce and possibly minimize skin integrity threats as well as extend safe patient handling guidelines with sling use. It was found that the highest interface pressures convened along the seams of the sling, regardless of manufacturer or type.