Intensive evaluation in wide and varied hospital departments has revealed Legacy’s versatility as an asset for all manner of complex care environments. Practice-based evidence has included patient and professional experiences* in cases including:
General intensive care: Clinical consensus across 21 critical care units suggests that mechanical turning enabled patients to wean from ventilator support on average 4 days earlier than expected, expediting their long-term recovery and discharge from intensive care. Meanwhile, it is suggested that a number of patients have survived life-threatening injuries due to the provision of mechanical turning.
Spinal Cord Injury: The unique mattress system enhances a bed deemed fit for purpose by five English SCI centres, whose prior awareness of mechanical turning prompted a strong appreciation of Legacy’s unique features.
Spinal injuries without neurological compromise: Three orthopaedic spinal surgery centres successfully trialled Legacy for both the conservative and post-surgical management of orthopaedic spinal injury patients, as a means of eliminating the risk of developing an SCI secondary to turning.
Acquired brain injury and neurosurgery: Legacy enables the multi-positional rotation of the patient over a number of axes, including lateral rotation to 30°, head & leg elevation, reverse trendelenburg and other functionalities that enhance therapeutic treatments. This, alongside the Embrace Hold Position, was found to contribute to a reduction in stress and a smaller increase in ICP compared to manual turning.
Complex Surgery: Trials included various patients who had undergone complex or reconstructive surgery, amputation and joint replacement. Clinical staff confirmed that patient pain and discomfort during routine turns/transfers was, in their opinion, significantly reduced compared with past experiences.
Multiple Trauma: Positive evaluations highlighted the holistic benefits of turning in three major Trauma Centres using Legacy for patients not requiring spinal protection.
Pelvic injuries: 2 pelvic injury patients within an MTC successfully trialled Legacy during both pre and post-surgical periods, with a focus on minimising the risk of pressure ulcers by enabling routine turning with minimal discomfort.
Adult Respiratory Disease Syndrome (ARDS): One critical care centre demonstrated that by positioning a ventilated ARDS patient prone before turning in the Embrace Hold position, they were able to avoid transferring that patient for ECMO (Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxegenation) – saving approximately £25,000 in a single patient episode.
Legacy‘s design has evolved through extensive feedback from more than 25 hospitals and specialist trauma centres across the UK.
From blueprint through to conception, every feature has been carefully considered by those who understand best the demands of modern day trauma care – clinicians and nursing staff. The end-result: a turning bed that is fit for purpose across the most diverse range of complex care scenarios.
The primary control features are foot-operated, allowing nursing staff to keep their hands free for care procedures. The dual mattress system transfers shear away from the patient to aid pressure area care, while its viscoelastic construction means patients lie in the mattress instead of on it, keeping them completely still during turns to maintain spinal alignment.
And the simplicity of Legacy’s design makes turning and re-positioning easy, giving staff total control over patient care without reliance on a complicated computer interface.
The list goes on. Adjustable side-wings trim the bed to any patient size for comfort and stability, with comfort increased after turning by lowering the upper-arm pressure relief flaps. Meanwhile, the integral patient weighing system shows an accurate patient weight no matter what position the bed is in, making it easy to track nutrition, medication and anaesthesia administration.
All-in-all, Legacy has been designed by medical professionals, to deliver the best possible treatment to every patient
Legacy’s clinical development:
3-month pilot evaluation on ward at NSIC Stoke Mandeville, working with practitioners and patients
Subsequent evaluations by over 25 UK hospitals, including:
Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries (RJAH Oswestry)
Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield (Neuro)
Royal Liverpool Infirmary
Princess Royal SIC, Sheffield
Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
Southampton General Hospital
Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham
Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro
Featured in detail in The Patient is for Turning clinical report – written by MASCIP in collaboration with the SIA
