Do Seat Cushions Really Prevent Pressure Ulcers?

A Review of the Data from Peer Reviewed Sources

As with most medical products, the use of pressure redistributing cushions for the prevention of ulcers or skin breakdown has been carefully scrutinized by the medical community. This article takes a look at the results, conclusions, and recommendations of peer reviewed studies.

Pressure ulcers in the elderly and wheelchair bound occur quite often. A recent survey estimates that between 2.2% and 23.9% of people living in nursing homes are stricken with this debilitating condition.(NPUAP NPUAP. Pressure Ulcers in America: Prevalence, Incidence, and Implications for the Future. Reston, VA: National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel; 2001.) A pressure ulcer easily leads to complications including reduced mobility and infection.

Pride Spectrum Wheelchair Cushion

A randomized clinical trial done in 2010 authored by a group of ten doctors and Ph.D.s from the University of Pittsburgh analyzed two different types of wheelchair cushions. They tested an SPC cushion (Skin Protection Cushion, filled with gel or special liquid or viscous material) against a simple foam cushion. The results: SPC cushion were far more effective in preventing pressure ulcers than the foam ones. (David Brienza, Ph.D et al. A Randomized Clinical Trial on Preventing Pressure Ulcers with Wheelchair Seat Cushions. J Am Geriatr Soc. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 December 1.)

Another study looked at the effectiveness of high quality foam used in cushions and mattresses to prevent ulcers. The reviewers looked at 41 controlled studies and reviewed their results. The conclusion: people at high risk of developing ulcers, care should be taken to use the high quality foam over the standard hospital mattresses and wheelchair seats. (Cullum N, McInnes E, Bell-Syer SE, Legood R. Support surfaces for the pressure ulcer prevention. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004;(3):CD001735.)

Drive Gel Cushion

The Science is pretty strongly in favor for promoting the use of pressure prevention cushions for the wheelchair and mattress bound. You can click on the images to view more details or purchase one online. 

All the best!