title: A survey of protective cushion usage in individuals with spinal cord injury while traveling in a motor vehicle and on a commercial airliner.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While there are specific recommendations for pressure relieving cushions when seated in a wheelchair, there is a paucity of information regarding prescribed wheelchair cushions for persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) when traveling and not in their wheelchair seat. A questionnaire was designed to ascertain if individuals with SCI who are primarily wheelchair users utilize a prescribed wheelchair cushion when traveling in a motor vehicle (MV) or on a commercial airliner, as not utilizing one may be a causative factor in developing pressure ulcers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey design in an outpatient SCI rehabilitation setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Full-time wheelchair users, with chronic (>1 year) SCI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-two participants completed the survey, with a mean age of 39 years old and time post-injury of 10.4 years. All subjects used a prescribed wheelchair cushion when seated in their wheelchair. Twenty-seven subjects reported transferring to a MV seat (59.5% of sample), with 25 (92.6%) reporting not using a prescribed wheelchair cushion when sitting directly on the MV seat. For subjects who traveled on an airplane (n = 23-54.8%), 19 (82.6%) reported that they do not sit on a prescribed specialty cushion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Persons with chronic SCI, who are primary wheelchair users, utilize prescribed wheelchair cushions when sitting in their wheelchair, but most do not utilize a prescribed wheelchair cushion when seated in a MV (if they transfer out of their chair) or on a airplane seat. Studies to determine the pressures over the bony prominences on their travel surfaces may need to be undertaken to see whether the pressures are appropriate, as they may be a source of skin breakdown.
authors.forename: Isa A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: McClure
authors.forename: Jeremiah D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Nieves
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kirshblum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D003668:Pressure Ulcer / Q000209:etiology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel; D014910:Wheelchairs / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cushions; pressure ulcers; prevention; spinal cord injury; survey