Smart Technology Helping Prevent Sores In Patients Confined To Hospital Bed
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Keeping a patient's skin in good condition while in a hospital bed takes a lot of care, and now a new device could make it easier.
Bed sores can be a huge problem for patients confined to a hospital bed and health care professionals are always trying to keep skin healthy. Lourdes Health System is using a lightweight disposable sensor that's placed on the patient's chest to alert nurses when it's time for the patient to move.
"It allows the nurse to view on a computer screen the patient's turn," said Michele Wargo, Director of Nursing Systems. "They can see whether the patient is on the left side or the right side and there's a counter that will count down every two hours to remind the nurse that the patient is due for a turn."
She says before this, nurses would have to remember when it was time to help each patient find a new position.
"With the sensor and the nurses, we work with the patients to make sure they alternate and relieve pressure from their skins," Wargo said, "because no one wants a pressure ulcer."