Topic:  At the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans' Administration Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, we are caring for seriously injured US soldiers' with complex wounds and needs through-out the hospital and on our Poly Trauma unit.  The need to preserve and maintain high levels of function is extremely important in this group of predominantly young soldiers.  Selecting a top quality support surface for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers in this highly vulnerable population is critical, as is the need to continually seek out new innovations to our practice.

Purpose:  Since our mission includes the provision of top quality resources for our soldiers, we trialed a active alternating support surface with advanced features to see if it would assist us in meeting the needs of this vulnerable population.  We needed to know its impact on pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, as well as gain input from patients, families, and nurses as to its contribution to the overall goals of care for our patients. 

Method:  We placed 10 patients from our poly trauma, acute care and spinal cord units on this support surface for an average of 20 days.  All patients had Braden Risk assessment scores of 12 or below, indicating very high risk for skin breakdown.  We followed these patients daily and made note of any skin issues.  We also asked for input from the staff, patient and family as to their opinions of this support surface.

Outcome:  This trial is currently underway.  Full results will be published in the poster.

**The support of Huntleigh Healthcare for this project is gratefully acknowledged.