An adjustable bed is a bed which has a multi-hinged lying surface which can be profiled to a number of different positions.[1] Common adjustments include inclining the upper body and raising the lower body independently of each other. Other common features include height adjustment and tilting the bed to raise the upper body or the lower body into the Trendelenburg or reverse Trendelenburg positions.[2]
The market for motorized adjustable bed bases is expanding, as the mattress industry has begun to heavily promote them to consumers as a comfort and lifestyle choice.[3]
Adjustable beds have been used in hospitals for a long time,[4] but have become more commonly used in homecare over the past three decades, as they have been found to provide relief from various conditions. They can help provide a more comfortable sleep for those recovering from surgery, aiding circulation, breathing and swelling. Adjustable beds used in hospitals and homecare are similar in basic functionality. The four main options available in the homecare industry are: Standard – Standard profiling beds can be lowered to around 40cm and raised to around 80cm and have a maximum user weight capacity of at least 28 stone (180kg). Low – Similar to the standard profiling bed, however the low bed has a minimum platform height of 21cm. Ultra-Low – Designed for use without side rails this bed can be lowered to just 67mm from the floor so that if the user falls from the bed, the impact is minimized, especially when used in conjunction with a crash mat. Bariatric – These weight baring beds should have a weight capacity of no less than 45 stone (286kg) and be no less than 120cm wide. [5] Hospital beds must be able to withstand more rigorous and regular cleaning in order to reduce contamination. Therefore, any electrical bed components used in the hospital environment need to meet minimum waterproofing standards in order to withstand the cleaning process. Homecare beds are less likely to be subjected to such intense cleaning, even if used within a care home, and this allows manufacturers to design beds whose aesthetics match home furnishings by using divan style beds or by using wooden veneer and laminates.
The basic and most popular structure is of a slatted base with a twin drive or a triple drive motor. The support of the mattress comes from the flexibility of the slats and their elastic mountings on the frame. The slatted bases are economic price-wise and can be lifted with lightweight actuators. The more advanced structure is the fully flexible base; it provides support to the mattress in every pressure point. They also require more powerful motors due to their weight. Fully flexible bases are usually made of zoned fillings of HR or of cold foam, sometimes covered with either latex or 3D mesh (spacer fabric) layer. The fully flexible bases are more solid and many would say more comfortable in providing a better support to the mattress.[6]
Both slatted or fully flexible bases can consist of four joints (back/stable/leg/foot) or 5 joints (neck/back/stable/leg/foot), usually operated by twin drive motors that operate the back and leg joint, and the movement of the neck and foot joint is semi automatic (sometimes there are motors with three actuators - also for the neck, and even with four - one for every joint). Another structural difference is the sliding back mechanism (sometimes called wall hugger or wall climber) which allows to minimise the gap with the back wall when the bed is uplifted, keeps the bedside table within reach, and enables the partners using the bed (if split) to keep eye contact at all times. In the 90's the sliding back mechanism was found only in the elite luxury products but it is becoming more common with the popular models, even with those that use slatted bases.
The increasing popularity of motorised adjustable beds for homecare is also partly due to the benefits provided to the caretaker, by allowing him or her to work at a comfortable height and reduce the risk of back injuries. Height adjustment and raising the upper body also assists users in getting out of bed with little or no assistance dependent on their condition.
In Europe, all adjustable beds for use within healthcare must be CE marked and also be compliant with EN1970.[7]
A stretcher, gurney, litter, or pram is an apparatus used for moving patients who require medical care. A basic type must be carried by two or more people. A wheeled stretcher is often equipped with variable height frames, wheels, tracks, or skids.
Coxa vara is a deformity of the hip, whereby the angle between the head and the shaft of the femur is reduced to less than 120 degrees. This results in the leg being shortened and the development of a limp. It may be congenital and is commonly caused by injury, such as a fracture. It can also occur when the bone tissue in the neck of the femur is softer than normal, causing it to bend under the weight of the body. This may either be congenital or the result of a bone disorder. The most common cause of coxa vara is either congenital or developmental. Other common causes include metabolic bone diseases, post-Perthes deformity, osteomyelitis, and post traumatic. Shepherd's Crook deformity is a severe form of coxa vara where the proximal femur is severely deformed with a reduction in the neck shaft angle beyond 90 degrees. It is most commonly a sequela of osteogenesis imperfecta, Paget's disease, osteomyelitis, tumour and tumour-like conditions.
A car seat is a seat used in automobiles. Most car seats are made from inexpensive but durable material in order to withstand prolonged use. The most common material is polyester.
A mattress is a large, usually rectangular pad for supporting a person lying down, especially for sleeping. It is designed to be used as a bed, or on a bed frame as part of a bed. Mattresses may consist of a quilted or similarly fastened case, usually of heavy cloth, containing materials such as hair, straw, cotton, foam rubber, or a framework of metal springs. Mattresses may also be filled with air or water.
Casualty lifting is the first step of casualty movement, an early aspect of emergency medical care. It is the procedure used to put the casualty on a stretcher.
A bed is an item of furniture that is used as a place to sleep, rest, and relax.
A box-spring is a type of bed base typically consisting of a sturdy wooden frame covered in cloth and containing springs. Usually, the box-spring is placed on top of a wooden or metal bedframe that sits on the floor and acts as a brace, except in the UK where the divan is more often fitted with small casters. The box-spring is usually the same size as the much softer mattress placed on it. Working together, the box-spring and mattress make up a bed. It is common to find a box-spring and mattress being used together without the support of a frame underneath, the box spring being mounted directly on casters standing on the floor.
Memory foam consists mainly of polyurethane with additional chemicals that increase its viscosity and density. It is often referred to as "viscoelastic" polyurethane foam, or low-resilience polyurethane foam (LRPu). The foam bubbles or ‘cells’ are open, effectively creating a matrix through which air can move. Higher-density memory foam softens in reaction to body heat, allowing it to mold to a warm body in a few minutes. Newer foams may recover their original shape more quickly.
A hip dislocation is when the thighbone (femur) separates from the hip bone (pelvis). Specifically it is when the ball–shaped head of the femur separates from its cup–shaped socket in the hip bone, known as the acetabulum. The joint of the femur and pelvis is very stable, secured by both bony and soft-tissue constraints. With that, dislocation would require significant force which typically results from significant trauma such as from a motor vehicle collision or from a fall from elevation. Hip dislocations can also occur following a hip replacement or from a developmental abnormality known as hip dysplasia.
In medicine, Fowler's position is a standard patient position in which the patient is seated in a semi-sitting position and may have knees either bent or straight. Variations in the angle are denoted by high Fowler, indicating an upright position at approximately 90 degrees and semi-Fowler, 30 to 45 degrees; and low Fowler, where the head is slightly elevated." It is an intervention used to promote oxygenation via maximum chest expansion and is implemented during events of respiratory distress. Fowler's position facilitates the relaxing of tension of the abdominal muscles, allowing for improved breathing. In immobile patients and infants, the Fowler's position alleviates compression of the chest that occurs due to gravity. Fowler's position increases comfort during eating and other activities, is used in postpartum women to improve uterine drainage, and in infants when signs of respiratory distress are present. Fowler's position is also used when oral or nasal gastric feeding tubes have been implemented as it minimizes the risk of aspiration. Peristalsis and swallowing are aided by the effect of gravitational pull.
The core or trunk is the axial (central) part of an organism's body. In common parlance, the term is broadly considered to be synonymous with the torso, but academically it also includes the head and neck. Functional movements are highly dependent on this part of the body, and lack of core muscular development can result in a predisposition to injury. The major muscles of the core reside in the area of the belly and the mid- and lower back, and peripherally include the hips, the shoulders and the neck.
An orthopedic pillow is a pillow designed to correct body positioning in bed or while lying on any other surface. Its design conforms to orthopedic guidelines to ensure the right placement and support of one or more specific parts of the body to provide safe and healthy rest to the sleeper.
Scissor gait is a form of gait abnormality primarily associated with spastic cerebral palsy. That condition and others like it are associated with an upper motor neuron lesion.
A pulmonary contusion, also known as lung contusion, is a bruise of the lung, caused by chest trauma. As a result of damage to capillaries, blood and other fluids accumulate in the lung tissue. The excess fluid interferes with gas exchange, potentially leading to inadequate oxygen levels (hypoxia). Unlike pulmonary laceration, another type of lung injury, pulmonary contusion does not involve a cut or tear of the lung tissue.
A bed base, sometimes called a foundation, is the part of a bed that supports the mattress. The bed base can itself be held in place and framed by the bedstead. In the United States, box-spring bed bases are very common. In Europe, sprung slats are much more common.
A hospital bed or hospital cot is a bed specially designed for hospitalized patients or others in need of some form of health care. These beds have special features both for the comfort and well-being of the patient and for the convenience of health care workers. Common features include adjustable height for the entire bed, the head, and the feet, adjustable side rails, and electronic buttons to operate both the bed and other nearby electronic devices.
A draw sheet is a small bed sheet placed crosswise over the middle of the bottom sheet of a mattress to cover the area between the person's upper back and thighs, often used by medical professionals to move patients. It can be made of plastic, rubber, or cotton, and is about half the size of a regular sheet. It can be used in place of a mattress pad if a rubber mattress is used. The draw sheet may or may not be tucked into the sides of the bed. When a draw sheet is used to move patients, it is sometimes known as a lift sheet. Nursing manuals recommend that, when a plastic or rubber draw sheet is used, a cotton drawsheet is placed over it. If a folded sheet is used as a draw sheet, the folded edge of the sheet is positioned at the person's upper body. Draw sheets used as lift sheets are generally not tucked in, though sometimes after the move, they are.
Surgical positioning is the practice of placing a patient in a particular physical position during surgery. The goal in selecting and adjusting a particular surgical position is to maintain the patient's safety while allowing access to the surgical site. Often a patient must be placed in an unnatural position to gain access to the surgical site.
Passive leg raise, also known as shock position, is a treatment for shock or a test to evaluate the need for further fluid resuscitation in a critically ill person.
A broken toe is a type of bone fracture. Symptoms include pain when the toe is touched near the break point, or compressed along its length. There may be bruising, swelling, stiffness, or displacement of the broken bone ends from their normal position.
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