GZA Hospital uses innovative therapeutic chair for better positioning of ICU patients

Sitting an ICU patient upright or changing their lying position is not easy. Incorrect positioning can cause pressure injuries, amongst other things. It is also physically taxing for nurses to move an immobile patient. GZA Hospitals therefore invested in two tools to better position patients in intensive care. After a test phase, the hospital this month became the first on the European mainland to use the Sydney GoFlat™: an innovative, electronic seat that gives patients the opportunity to sit upright faster and better.

Reducing the risk of pressure injuries

Liesbet Lombaerts, Director of Care at GZA Hospitals:

"Positioning a patient well in intensive care involves a lot of challenges. Patients are often bedridden, immobile, sometimes (partially) paralysed or on a ventilator. That does not make it easy to change someone's lying position or put them upright. However, incorrect positioning increases the risk of pressure injuries: also called pressure injuries. That is why we invested in two innovative tools to better position patients in intensive care and reduce the risk of pressure injuries, in an ergonomic way for our nurses. In this way, we increase the quality for both our patients and healthcare providers."

First on the European mainland

After a test phase, GZA Hospitals was the first on the European mainland to use the innovative Sydney GoFlat™. The seat was supplied by PRS Medical and developed by Seating Matters. Just last week, the Sydney GoFlat™ received the Red Dot Design Award for Product Design out of more than 5,500 entries, for its ergonomic design and functionality, which meet the needs of both patient and caregiver.

Koen Cortebeeck, wound care coordinator of GZA Hospitals:

"To prevent pressure injuries, it is important to reduce pressure and shear forces as much as possible. We have already tested several seats, but so far none have fully met all expectations in terms of pressure injury prevention and ergonomics. When PRS Medical asked our opinion on this new seat at the end of last year, we were immediately candidates to test it."

Easy from bed to chair

With a remote control, you can place the seat and armrests completely horizontally and at the same height as the bed, so that the nurse can easily and ergonomically move the patient to the seat, without a hoist. A line indicates where the hip should go. The footboard is adjustable in height, so that the feet receive the right support, important for the prevention of pressure injuries. Extra lateral left supports prevent the patient from sinking obliquely into the seat, for example in case of half-sided paralysis.

The special foam material of the seat ensures a better distribution of pressure and is breathable, to regulate the microclimate and ensure that skin does not become too moist. In addition, the chair can be placed in different positions for better blood circulation. These factors also lower the risk of pressure ulcers. The seat also has a holder for an oxygen bottle and a suspension system for an infusion. The swivelling wheels give the seat a short turning circle, useful in the relatively small boxes in the intensive care unit.

Faster sitting up = faster rehabilitation

Bjorn Dieusaert, CEO of PRS Medical:

"The intensive care team at GZA Hospitals was immediately enthusiastic about Seating Matters' Sydney GoFlat™ after the test phase. The feedback from the nurses was also useful to further improve and fine-tune the seat. The seat ensures that patients who are bedridden can sit up early and start moving faster, which contributes to faster rehabilitation. For example, lying immobile for too long can lead to critical muscle loss, delirium, pneumonia, a higher risk of blood clots and bedsores."

About PRS Medical

Based in Belgium, PRS Medical is Seating Matters chosen distributor for the region. PRS Medical specialises in the distribution and development of innovative medical products that prevent and/or cure bedsores, an underestimated and still current problem. They have a very wide range of preventive products for early pressure ulcers up to and including systems that can position and treat the most complex patients. More specifically, PRS Medical offers a total concept in which the development and implementation of a professional hospital-wide pressure ulcer policy is our goal.

PRS Medical focuses mainly on hospitals and WZCs and has been able to count the leading institutions and hospitals among its customers for many years. In addition to products with good clinical outcomes, PRS Medical also offers various services such as rental, certified disinfection and maintenance. Finally, PRS Medical is happy to develop specific anti-decubitus solutions with its customers and partners to optimize the safety of patients and residents.