Decompression equipment: refers to equipment that can disperse the local pressure of the body surface, and achieve the purpose of preventing pressure damage to the skin and its subsidiary structures. According to the different parts of the decompression is divided into the whole body and local decompression equipment.
① Commonly used whole-body decompression equipment are mattresses and air beds. Mattresses include ordinary hospital mattresses and special mattresses, such as foam and sponge mattresses. Air mattress bed including medical jet air mattress bed, alternating inflatable decompression air mattress bed.
② local decompression equipment: mainly includes various decompression dressings, mostly composed of polymer foam, polyurethane foam and polyurethane film. Liang Zunhong, Department of Burn and Skin Repair, Hainan Provincial People’s Hospital
Soft polysilicone foam dressing: also called Mepikon, produced by Sweden’s Murnik, is characterized by its ability to promote tissue repair and inhibit scar formation, and the foam can vertically absorb medium amount of exudate and reduce tissue pressure. The foam absorbs the medium amount of exudate vertically and reduces the pressure on the tissues. When using the dressing, clean the skin, dry the skin and then cut the dressing to cover the area that needs to be decompressed and fix it smoothly.
Comwell Foam Dressing: It is produced by Denmark Leisurecare Company, featuring foam that can absorb small to medium amount of exudate and reduce tissue pressure, which is conducive to the repair of damaged tissues, and is used in the same way as Mepicom.
Cureto Foam Dressing: Self-adhesive foam dressing produced by Schluterich, UK, characterized by reduced tissue pressure, waterproof surface layer and high permeability.
There are also special shaped foam dressings produced by Paul Hermann, Germany, which have similar characteristics and usage as the above dressings, but are designed in different shapes according to the area to be decompressed.
③Local decompression pads: mostly made of polymeric polyurethane elastomer, air, fiber, foam, gel and water, etc. They are suitable for patients who need to take special braking positions or be bedridden due to their condition or treatment. Currently, they are mostly used to prevent intraoperative pressure sores in major or complex surgeries. Commonly used OKL surgical pads can be divided into upper extremity pads, lower extremity pads, flat surgical pads, prone surgical pads, lateral surgical pads, truncal surgical pads and many others, which are used to decompress the local area during surgery according to the needs of surgery and body position.
④Chair cushions for wheelchair movers or patients confined to chairs are prone to pressure sores at the sciatic nodes because the seating surface has to bear about 75% of their body weight, so foam, air cushions or gel cushions are needed to decompress and prevent pressure sores at the sciatic nodes.