13
Patient Care Functions
Placing the Patient on the Mattress Surface
Place the patient on the mattress surface from a bed or stretcher with a transfer device. The
mattress should be set in the Auto Firm mode.
In order to ensure proper immersion and
envelopment of the patient, the user should:
1. Position patient on surface in center of bed.
2. Initialize soft/firm settings on the Control Unit/Blower.
3. Wait a moment to allow internal sensors to activate pressure redistribution. Generally,
depending on patient body makeup, initial pressure redistribution is complete in
approximately 2-3 minutes.
4. Elevate the head of the bed to at least 30 degrees.
5. Unzip the mattress and visually inspect the height of the cells for sufficient inflation.
There should be several inches between the patient and the frame of the bed. Adjust the
air flow accordingly. Ask the patient if they can feel the bed frame beneath them. If yes,
add air incrementally. Repeat until patient no longer feels the frame beneath them.
6. If the patient cannot reply verbally, unzip the mattress and visually inspect the height of
the cells for sufficient air inflation. There should be several inches between the patient
and the frame of the bed. Adjust the air flow accordingly.
7. CPR: The standards for life support recommended by the American Heart Association for
performing CardioPulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) recommend a hard level surface for
performing CPR, moving the person to the floor if possible. For performing CPR, place
the CPR board, lower the head of the bed, position the patient on their back and follow
standard CPR procedures of the facility.
In some cases, the mattress may include an auto-fowler feature. This means that when the head
of the bed is greater than 30 degrees, the mattress will automatically increase the amount of air to
the sacral area.
Positioning the Patient
When moving a patient the Control Unit/Blower should be in the Auto Firm Mode.
To reposition the patient, change the Control Unit/Blower to Auto Firm Mode. This makes the
mattress surface firm and facilitates the repositioning of the patient with less strain on the care
provider. When the patient has been repositioned, press auto firm to return to the previous
setting.
NOTE:
DO NOT leave a patient unattended on the mattress surface with the safety side rails in
the down position. When leaving a patient, secure the safety side rails in the up position. Make
sure the safety side rails are high enough to properly protect the patient when the mattress is fully
inflated, while continuing to be mindful of the FDA guidelines on bed rail entrapment.
Backrest Up or Fowler Position
When the patient’s backrest is elevated, it may be necessary to manually increase the mattress
firmness to compensate for the additional weight placed in the center portion of the mattress.
