A Clinical Review of the CuroCell IQ pressure care mattress range
by Annette Terranova, OT, Clinical Educator & Trainer
For those who know me or attend my training workshops, you would know my passion for Pressure Care and the role of support surfaces in Pressure Injury Prevention and Management.
Mattress support surfaces can prevent damaging tissue deformation and enhance perfusion of at-risk or damaged tissue. However, one must remember that a mattress itself neither prevents nor heals pressure injuries.
A pressure care mattress should always be selected based on a user’s specific needs. This does not only include assessing the pressure injury or pressure injury risk and a user’s comfort level, but the knowledge and competence of the carer to ensure the mattress is used effectively and congruent with the environment of use.
Often the most frustrating and potentially damaging use of a pressure care mattresses is the incorrect adjustment and setting of the pump – typically the pressure level related to user weight and alternating cycle time. This can contribute to an individual “bottoming out” on a surface due to insufficient air pressure or, high peak pressures at the mattress-body interface due to excessive pressure in the cells.
I have personally seen how a fully alternating air mattress can be disruptive for many users. There are many factors that cause at-risk users to reject a pressure relieving mattress – such as excessive noise and vibration of the pump, air within the mattress being too cold or difficulties with repositioning due to an uneven surface that is constantly changing.
This is why I’ve decided the review Care of Sweden’s CuroCell IQ pressure care mattress range, an intelligent pressure care solution for those who are looking for effective pressure management and comfort without the need for any pump input settings or user adjustments.
No input settings or adjustments? How does this work?
The CuroCell IQ’s pump has been designed to be intuitive and fully automatic.
The pump automatically senses the weight and body mass distribution of a user in bed and correctly adjusts the air pressure within the cells to provide the required pressure redistribution. This provides optimal levels of immersion and envelopment of the body into the mattress surface.
Once the correct air pressure is achieved, the pump will continue to re-evaluate the user’s position in bed and recalibrate the air pressure in the cells under the mattress-body interface. This means, there is no need to activate a “seat function” or change the settings on the pump when the bed is profiled.
Activating the MAX firm setting on the pump inflates the mattress cells to their maximum and provides a stable surface for care, transfers, and repositioning. This setting automatically turns off after 20mins returning the mattress to the optimum pressure care mode eliminating the need for the carer to remember to do this.
The Curocell IQ offers PULSATION as the mode of pressure redistribution. Pulsation mode provides calm and gentle air flow between cells providing a combination of pressure redistribution and pressure relief with lower peak pressures compared to traditional alternating modes. This mode of Pressure Injury care is designed to provide the best possible combination between effective treatment, prevention, and a high level of user comfort.
Studies conducted at The University of South Hampton have demonstrated that:
- Pulsating mode is the optimum choice for an even blood flow
- Compared to traditional alternating mode, pulsating mode offers smoother changes in pressure and is more adaptable to mimic the natural movements of the body
- There are less pressure differences between the inflated and deflated cells to provide a highly comfortable and calm experience on the mattress
Study conducted at Ghent University demonstrated have demonstrated that:
- Pulsating Mode has a preventive and a treating effect of pressure injuries in category II-IV.
- The PI incidence Cat II-IV associated with the use of an automated pulsating support system was 2.5%.
- The majority of the existing pressure injury category III or IV did not worsen and healed while using a fully automated pulsating support system.
Additional features of the Curocell IQ pump include:
- Air Flow Control which provides a more constant and comfortable temperature for the user, maintenance of microclimate and greater energy efficiency
- CPR and Transport function
- Quiet and Vibration Free
- Sleep, in combination with a calm and quiet environment are key factors in recovery and increased well-being
- Auditory and Visual alarms
- Pack & Go feature which automatically deflates the mattress for transport or storage. This feature protects carers from manual handling risks that can arise from physically trying to deflate an air mattress.
The pump can be used, and is interchangeable, with 5 different mattresses in the CuroCell range to suit different user needs.
To eliminate pressure injuries, support surfaces need to be intelligent and control some of the common issues that may compromise their efficacy and efficiency such as the incorrect settings being used or the incorrect pump for the mattress configuration. Mattresses with the Curocell IQ pump eliminate these potential errors by adjusting and responding automatically to the user and reducing carer intervention, saving time, money and pressure injury risk.
While it may sound like the Curocell IQ offers a complete solution for individuals, caregivers and organisations, including values beyond its clinical features, a pressure care mattress should always be selected based on a user’s specific needs and I can’t stress this strongly enough.
You are welcome to send me an email using the form below if you would like to discuss more about pressure care mattresses with me.
Get in touch with Annette
Posted on 26 February 2021