68 Specialty Beds

Skill 68


Specialty Beds


Air-Fluidized, Air-Suspension, and Rotokinetic



The air-suspension bed supports a patient’s weight on air-filled cushions. A low-air-loss system minimizes pressure and reduces shear. If a patient has large stage III or IV pressure ulcers on multiple turning surfaces of the skin, a low-air-loss bed or air-fluidized bed may be indicated (WOCN, 2010).


An air-fluidized bed is a powered device designed to distribute a patient’s weight evenly over its support surface (Fig. 68-1). Fluidization is created by forcing a gentle flow of temperature-controlled air upward through a mass of fine ceramic microspheres. The microspheres fluidize and assume the appearance of boiling milk and all the properties of a fluid.



The Rotokinetic bed helps maintain skeletal alignment while providing constant rotation. This bed improves skeletal alignment with constant side-to-side rotation up to 90 degrees.



Feb 19, 2017 | Posted by in NURSING | Comments Off on 68 Specialty Beds

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