title: Preventing pressure ulcers with the Australian Medical Sheepskin: an open-label randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the effectiveness of a new high-performance Australian medical sheepskin (meeting Australian Standard 4480.1-1998) in preventing pressure ulcers in a general hospital population at low to moderate risk of these ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Open-label randomised controlled clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A large metropolitan teaching hospital in Melbourne, Victoria, in 2000.
  
  
  METHODS
  441 patients aged over 18 years admitted between 12 June and 30 November 2000, with expected length of stay over 2 days and assessed as at low to moderate risk of developing pressure ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were randomly allocated to receive a sheepskin mattress overlay for the duration of their hospital stay (218 patients) or usual treatment, as determined by ward staff (referent group, 223 patients).
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence rate and cumulative incidence of pressure ulcers, assessed daily throughout hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  58 patients developed pressure ulcers (sheepskin group, 21; referent group, 37). Cumulative incidence risk was 9.6% in the sheepskin group (95% CI, 6.1%-14.3%) versus 16.6% in the referent group (95% CI, 12.0%-22.1%). Patients in the sheepskin group developed new pressure ulcers at a rate less than half that of referent patients (rate ratio, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.26-0.67).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Australian Medical Sheepskin is effective in reducing the incidence of pressure ulcers in general hospital inpatients at low to moderate risk of these ulcers.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Damien J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jolley
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McGowan
authors.forename: Mark B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: Don A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Rodney D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.forename: Kenneth C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Montgomery
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001512:Bedding and Linens; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012756:Sheep; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014739:Victoria; D014935:Wool