Clinical Reports

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Clinical Case Reports

• Client was diagnosed with C5 complete quadriplegia, and has a history of bilateral ischial decubitus ulcers, as well as having a decubitus ulcer under the right foot. Robert Miller, MD, and Robert Meehan, PT, Shepherd Center - A Catastrophic Care Hospital (PDF 23k)
• Client was diagnosed with a T-8 spinal cord injury, and has a history of bilateral ischial and coccyx decubitus ulcers. Karol Gutowski, MD, FACS, University of Wisconsin-Medical School - Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (PDF 34k)
• Client with complete C5 tetraplegia who developed a decubitus ulcer, which resulted in him being confined to bed rest for several months. Cathy Henderson, PT, MS, ATP, UAB Health System - Spain Rehabilitation Center (PDF 21k)
• Client was hospitalized and upon discharge had two Stage II pressure ulcers on his buttocks. Cari L. Wolf, RN, Interim Healthcare, Home Care (PDF 19k)
• Client was admitted to the hospital with an extensive grade 4 sacral decubitus ulcer. John Holliman, MD, Professor of Pathology,University of Oklahoma College of Medicine (PDF 38k)  *Be sure to scroll down to view seating chart.
• Update from client about the healing of his decubitus ulcer while using the Aquila Airpulse PK cushion. John Holliman, MD Follow Up (PDF 58k)
• Client is wheelchair bound and leans to the left. He developed a left ischial pressure ulcer before beginning to use the Airpulse PK cushion. Nancy Gilligan-Anderson, RN, WCC, Nurse Manager - Lakeview Health Center (PDF 706k)

• The following is an excerpt of a clinical case study done by Dr. Barry M. Farr MD, MSc.

  This study published in "Infectious Diseases in Clinical Practices" Volume 21, Number 1, January 2013, describes the comparison of two alternating air wheelchair cushions: The AQUILA Corporation Airpulse PK and the Ease G-100 and Stage 1 Overlay.

• The title of the published article is " Preventing Recurrent Pressure Related Furuncles With an Alternating Air Cushion"

  The study discovered which cushion was effective in preventing AND treating furnuncles over a 170 day period. (furuncle: technical name for a boil)

• The Aquila Airpulse PK cushion arrived first and began

  being used for increasing lengths of time from 3 to 8 hours per day with no evidence of infection.

  It was obvious that the alternating air cushion was working to prevent infection because sitting that much on a static cushion had not been possible during 2011 without developing a new furuncle.

  The pump supplied with the Aquila cushion was programmed

  to allow the patient to vary the frequency of cycling and the pressure

  applied during massage.

  Two cushions were supplied by Ease Cushion

  G-100 and the Stage 1 Overlay.

  Compared with the Aquila cushion, Ease G-100 provided weak pulsations and only cycled once every 4.5 minutes. There was discomfort of the left buttock after sitting on the Ease for less than an hour and a painful, palpable, new furuncle developed 3 days after the patient began sitting on the it.

  For this reason, the patient switched back to using the Aquila

  cushion, with which there had been no problem, and continued using it

  When the left buttock was again free of infection, the patient

  switched to using the Ease Stage 1 Overlay.

  Another furuncle developed 3 days after he began sitting on the Stage 1 Overlay for 3 hours a day.

  The patient switched back to using the Aquila cushion again

  This procedure of switching back and forth continued until

  7 new furuncles had developed on the left buttock during use of

  the Ease cushions, compared to no new furuncles during use of the Aquila cushion.

  At that point, data collection for the study stopped, and the patient stopped sitting on Ease cushions and began sitting only on the Aquila cushion. No new furuncles developed.

  This study found a dramatic reduction in the rate of pressure related

  infections when the patient sat on an alternating air cushion

  manufactured by the Aquila Corporation as compared to Ease Cushion. Suggesting that different alternating air cushions may not be equally effective.

  Some may claim that the superior efficacy of the Aquila

  cushion was merely caused by malfunctioning Ease cushions,

  but this would not alter the conclusion that a properly functioning

  alternating air cushion can prevent pressure-related infections.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Ease Cushion loaned the investigator a G-100 cushion

  and a Stage 1 Overlay cushion for the duration of the

  study. The investigator purchased an Aquila cushion.

  *After the study was complete, Dr. Farr purchased an additional 3 complete Airpulse PK cushion systems.