Key messages
Despite a comprehensive search, we did not find any studies that looked at whether pressure redistributing static chairs help to prevent or manage pressure ulcers. This is an important topic area and high quality research is needed to determine whether or not such chairs benefit people at risk of developing pressure ulcers.
What are pressure ulcers?
Pressure ulcers are injuries to the skin and underlying tissue that can be caused by prolonged pressure. Sitting can be an important part of a person's recovery process, but sitting for long periods can increase the risk of developing pressure ulcers.
How are pressure ulcers managed?
Specialist cushions and surfaces aim to redistribute pressure on the skin when people have to stay sitting for long periods of time. There has been more research into the effects of using pressure redistributing cushions in wheelchairs than in standard chairs.
We do not currently know how effective pressure redistributing static chairs are, compared with standard chairs, for preventing or managing pressure ulcers in at-risk people.
Pressure redistributing static chairs range from standard hospital chairs and chairs used in residential settings with no cushion or manual/dynamic function, to those with integrated pressure redistributing surfaces and recline, rise or tilt function when the person is sitting in it. These can be produced to a standard design or a bespoke design tailored to the needs of the person.
What did we want to find out?
We wanted to find out how effective pressure redistributing static chairs are for preventing or managing pressure ulcers in health, rehabilitation and social care settings, and residential places where people may spend their day.
What did we do?
We searched for published and unpublished studies that assessed pressure redistributing static chairs for preventing or managing pressure ulcers. There were no restrictions on language, date of publication or study setting.
What did we find?
We did not find any eligible completed or registered studies investigating the effects of pressure redistributing static chairs for preventing or managing pressure ulcers.
There is no current high-quality evidence that supports or refutes the role of pressure redistributing static chairs for preventing or managing pressure ulcers.
This is a priority area and there is a need to explore this intervention with rigorous and robust research.
How up to date is this evidence?
This evidence in this Cochrane Review is up to date to June 2021.
Currently, there is no randomised evidence that supports or refutes the role of pressure redistributing static chairs in the prevention or management of pressure ulcers. This is a priority area and there is a need to explore this intervention with rigorous and robust research.
Sitting can be viewed as a therapeutic intervention and an important part of a person's recovery process; but the risk of ulceration must be mitigated. Interventions for ulcer prevention in those at risk from prolonged sitting include the use of specialist cushions and surfaces, especially for wheelchair users. Whilst there is interest in the effects of different pressure redistributing cushions for wheelchairs, the benefits of pressure redistributing static chairs, compared with standard chairs, for pressure ulcer development in at-risk people are not clear.
To assess the effects of pressure redistributing static chairs on the prevention of pressure ulcers in health, rehabilitation and social care settings, and places of residence in which people may spend their day.
In June 2021 we searched the following electronic databases to identify reports of relevant randomised clinical trials: the Cochrane Wounds Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase and EBSCO CINAHL Plus (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature). We also searched clinical trials registers for ongoing and unpublished studies, and reference lists of relevant systematic reviews, meta-analyses and health technology reports. There were no restrictions by language, date of publication or study setting.
We sought to include published or unpublished randomised controlled trials that assessed pressure redistributing static chairs in the prevention or management of pressure ulcers.
Two review authors independently performed study selection. We planned that two review authors would also assess the risk of bias, extract study data and assess the certainty of evidence according to GRADE methodology.
We did not identify any studies that met the review eligibility criteria, nor any registered studies investigating the role of pressure redistributing static chairs in the prevention or management of pressure ulcers.