BMJ  2006;332 (17 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7555.0

Alternating pressure mattresses are more cost effective than overlays

Alternating pressure mattresses are just as good as alternating pressure overlays at preventing pressure ulcers, and more likely to be cost effective. In a randomised controlled trial of more than 1900 hospital patients aged > 55 years, Nixon and colleagues (p 1413) found that 10.7% of the patients given an overlay and 10.3% of the patients on a mattress developed a pressure ulcer of grade 2 or worse. A linked cost effectiveness analysis (p 1416) found that mattresses were associated with lower overall costs, mainly because patients had a shorter stay in hospital. Also, more patients in the overlay group than in the mattress group asked to change their devices because they were unhappy with them.

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