Hill-Rom Introduces Envella™ Air Fluidized Therapy Bed

SALT LAKE CITY, May 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global medical technology leader Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HRC), recently unveiled the new Hill-Rom® Envella™ Air Fluidized Therapy Bed, the company's latest innovative solution providing the highest quality wound care for patients with advanced wounds. The bed is on display at the Wound Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society® Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"Pressure injuries present a significant challenge for the entire healthcare environment," said Paul Johnson, president, Hill-Rom Patient Support Systems. "Across the care continuum, pressure injuries are quite common, cause serious concerns both to patients and their caregivers, and create financial burdens for the healthcare system. The Envella™ bed's differentiated technology provides an ideal healing environment for the prevention and treatment of advanced pressure injuries."

The Hill-Rom® Envella™ Bed – Benefits for Patients and Caregivers
In designing the Envella bed, Hill-Rom pursued the singular goal of elevating the standard of wound care, designing every aspect of the bedframe and therapeutic surface to drive superior outcomes and a higher quality of care for a broader range of complex patients. From increased bead depth, adjustable air flow and sensing technologies, to advanced weight-based pressure distribution and an integrated scale, the Envella bed is designed to make air fluidized therapy (AFT) more comfortable and safer for patients, and easier for caregivers to use.

The Challenge of Pressure Injuries
Pressure injuries are extremely prevalent. In fact, one in 10 patients have pressure injuries and one in 20 patients experience a facility-acquired pressure injury during their stay in the hospital.^1,2 

Beyond the clinical challenges, the financial burdens are also significant. Pressure injury patients have a 57% longer average length of stay³, have a three-times higher mortality rate³, are 22% more likely to be re-admitted within 30 days³, and carry with them an average of $10,000 in cost for the additional care they require.^4,5 

Efficacy of Air Fluidized Therapy
The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services place air fluidized therapy in a surface category all its own because of the uniqueness of the therapy.^6,7 AFT pushes air flow through a bed of millions of tiny beads, creating a fluid-like environment that results in a sensation that feels similar to floating in water. The Hill-Rom® Envella™ Air Fluidized Therapy Bed maximizes immersion and envelopment, minimizes shear and pressure, and effectively regulates the skin's microclimate. This differentiated technology leads to better outcomes for patients with complex and advanced wounds and more cost-effective care for a range of patient acuities, like flaps/grafts and stage 3-4 pressure injuries.

In a study relating to high-risk post-op ICU patients, 25 patients were placed on standard surfaces and 27 were placed on AFT surfaces. Only one of the 27 patients developed a pressure injury while on AFT compared to 40 injuries on the standard surfaces⁸. Use of AFT was estimated by the authors of the study to reduce costs by 88%.⁸

For patients who already have a pressure injury, Air Fluidized Therapy drastically outperforms in terms of pressure injury healing. In a comprehensive study of 664 nursing home patients, AFT healed wounds at a 4.4 times faster rate than powered air surfaces.⁹ Subsequent studies and cost models estimate that this healing rate brings a 77% reduction in overall healing time and a 66% reduction in the total cost.¹⁰

About Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc. 

Hill-Rom is a leading global medical technology company with more than 10,000 employees worldwide. We partner with health care providers in more than 100 countries, across all care settings, by focusing on patient care solutions that improve clinical and economic outcomes in five core areas: Advancing Mobility, Wound Care and Prevention, Patient Monitoring and Diagnostics, Surgical Safety and Efficiency and Respiratory Health. Hill-Rom's people, products, and programs work towards one mission: Every day, around the world, we enhance outcomes for patients and their caregivers. Visit www.hill-rom.com for more information.

1.        Brem H MD, et al. High Cost of Stage IV Pressure Ulcers. Am J Surg. 2010.
2.        2014 AHA Data.
3.        Braden B. "Costs of Pressure Ulcer Prevention. Is it really cheaper than treatment?" PUAP.
4.        VanGilder, Lachenbruch, Amlung, Harrison. Pressure Ulcer Prevalence Reductions Seen from the International Pressure Ulcer Prevalence Survey.
5.        Jackson, et al. "Pressure Ulcer Prevention in High-Risk Postoperative Cardiovascular Patients" Crit Care Nurse. 2011;31:44-53.
6.        CMS surfaces definitions- https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Contracting/ContractorLearningResources/downloads/JA1014.pdf
7.        NPUAP surface definitions- http://www.npuap.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/NPUAP_S3I_TD.pdf.
8.        Jackson, et al. "Pressure Ulcer Prevention in High-Risk Postoperative Cardiovascular Patients" Crit Care Nurse. 2011;31:44-53.
9.        Ochs, et al. "Comparison of Air-Fluidized Therapy with Other Support Surfaces Used to Treat Pressure Ulcers in Nursing Home Residents." Ostomy Wound Management, 51:2,2005.
10.     Cuddigan, et al. "Treating Severe Pressure Ulcers in the Home Setting: Faster Healing and Lower cost with Air Fluidized Therapy." Remington Report, 2004.

SOURCE Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.