Quantitative assessment of pressure relief at the sacral area in adults lying supine on the operating room table

BACKGROUND: It is important to prevent development of the pressure ulcers in patients undergoing lengthy surgery, particularly at areas of skin overlying bony prominences. This study was designed to investigate distribution of the interface pressure (IP) over the body area (from the head to pelvic area) in supine adults and also evaluate the ability of a polyurethane-made cushion to reduce the IP at their sacral area. METHODS: Utilizing a recently developed device to measure the IP (ERGO-CHECK, ABW Co., Germany), we evaluated distribution of the IP (estimated per 3 x 4 cm2 area) over the body area in healthy volunteers (n=31) and patients under general anesthesia (n=6) lying supine on the operating room (OR) table. RESULTS: In all the subjects, the highest IP was generated at the sacrum; 62.5 +/- 23.8 (mean +/- SD) and 35.7 +/- 5.5 mmHg in the volunteers and patients, respectively. The polyurethane-made, "doughnut" cushion (5 cm in thickness) inserted between the pelvic area and the OR table significantly reduced (P 32 mmHg) in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative assessment of the IP would be useful in evaluating precisely the effectiveness of various types of pillows, cushions, or mattresses designed to reduce the IP.