Skin pressure measurements on various mattress surfaces in cancer patients.

Twenty-eight patients with histologically proven carcinoma were studied on two dynamic and six static mattress surfaces to determine which mattress surface would provide the least skin surface pressure at the sacrum, dorsal spine, trochanter and heels. Measurements were taken with an especially designed inflatable bladder, and the mean of the maximum skin surface pressures was determined for the static and dynamic surfaces in the inflated and deflated state. Using less than or equal to 32 mm Hg as the skin surface pressure at which the arteriolarcapillary blood flow is interrupted, we concluded that the mud gel bed generally tended to record the lowest skin surface pressure for all of the sites. Although some of the static surfaces recorded pressures less than or equal to 32 mm Hg at the sacrum and dorsal spine, the deflated dynamic surfaces were superior to the remaining static surfaces in reducing the skin surface pressures.