McDonough, GA, June 23, 2019 – Encompass Group, LLC premiered its transformative new Airisana™ Therapeutic Support Surface today in its exhibit booth at the WOCNEXT 2019 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Airisana™ is a unique, never-before-seen approach to pressure management therapy and microclimate. By combining all of the best practices devised to reduce healthcare-acquired pressure injuries into one surface and control unit, it replaces up to five other surface types.
“The Airisana surface was developed because, even with the multitude of surfaces currently available, healthcare-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) rates have not only stopped declining, they’ve actually risen in the last few years,” said Michelle Daniels, Airisana Managing Director for Product Development. “In the 2017 AHRQ measure of different hospital-acquired conditions (HACs), such as infections, falls, VTEs, drug errors and pressure injuries, only the rate of pressure injuries had risen – by 6% – since 2014, whereas the average reduction of all HACs was a 13%. We needed to do something to address this pressure-injury epidemic, which affects almost 19% of all hospital inpatients today.”
The Airisana surface offers a newly-developed algorithm that combines multiple pressure therapies, such as alternating pressure, immersion, envelopment, and pressure redistribution, in a random sequence, to reduce patients’ acclimatization to the therapy provided by the surface. And uniquely, Airisana provides multiple therapy modes at the same time. Pressure therapy modes and turn assist can be performed in concert. Airisana’s innovative bladder design can incorporate pressure redistribution, alternating pressure and envelopment therapies with a transformative inflation sequence. All at the same time; all in one surface.
As a low-air-loss surface, Airisana supports reduction for moisture-associated dermatitis and accelerated skin breakdown, by applying a targeted airflow to the highest patient pressure points on the surface, providing air therapy where it is needed the most. Other low-air-loss surfaces apply an even application of air across the entire surface regardless of where it is needed, which can over-dry the skin and potentially cause new conditions.
Because of its ability to combine several best practices into one surface, the Airisana surface is designed to support multiple care disciplines (wound care, respiratory care, physical therapy, etc.), rather than to benefit just one discipline while potentially presenting challenges for others. With its stable base and firm perimeter support, the Airisana Surface can be used bedside for many respiratory, physical and other therapy care situations.
Its intuitive, soft-touch user control unit simplifies patient set up and puts control back into the hands of clinicians. Airisana is designed to help hospitals manage the risk of extended patient stays, lessen the risk of staff injuring themselves when repositioning patients, and help hospitals save money through improved clinical efficiency.
“We designed Airisana in consultation with medical engineers, biologists, clinicians, and WOC nurse professionals to improve several issues associated with current therapies and surfaces,” Daniels went on to say. “Such as improving clinical efficiency and reducing costs; shortening the time-released-to-care and time-to-mobility; reducing pressure- and moisture-associated skin deterioration; reducing staff injuries from repositioning patients; easing egress and ingress; and reducing acclimatization of the patient to the surface. Our goal with Airisana is to get healthcare-acquired pressure injury rates pointed back in the right direction: Down.”
Encompass also rolled out a new website to support the Airisana surface launch, which includes insights into Airisana’s inspiration and development along with a calculator to assist hospitals and health care systems in measuring the economic impact of pressure injuries. Full information is available at www.encompassgroup.com/airisana-reducing-pressure-injuries.
Encompass is also launching a facility evaluation program. Interested facilities can request to participate at www.encompassgroup.com/airisana-therapeutic-mattress-product-evaluation.
About Encompass Group
Encompass Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of reusable textiles, professional apparel, and disposable and single-use medical products. Encompass believes that every patient, resident, caregiver, and family member should feel Safe and Comfortable in today’s healthcare environments. The way Encompass enhances the healthcare experience is by developing innovative products that are reliably delivered and cost-effective for all providers. The markets we serve include Acute Care, Long-Term Care/Senior Care, Retail Health Care Apparel, Hospitality, and Government Operations. For more information, please visit https://www.encompassgroup.com, email info@encompassgroup.net, or call at (800) 284-4540.
WOCNEXT Booth #430
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