Article 2024 Oct 07

Benefits of Low Air Loss Mattress: How It Works and Selection Tips

Benefits of low air loss mattress
Improper skin microclimate management reduces tolerance to mechanical loading, increasing tissue deformation and pressure injury risks.  

What is a Low Air Loss Mattress? 

According to the 2019 EPUAP/NPIAP/PPPIA Clinical Practice Guideline, a support surface is a specialized device designed for pressure redistribution, microclimate management, and other therapeutic functions. These devices include mattresses, bed systems, mattress replacements, overlays, and seat cushions.1  

Powered features such as heating, cooling, and moisture dissipation can influence the microclimate. One such feature is Low Air Loss, where air circulates beneath a water vapor permeable cover, controlling humidity between the patient and the support surface. This feature helps manage the microclimate by regulating heat and moisture levels.2 

What are the Benefits of Using a Low Air Loss Mattress? Who needs it? 

Low Air Loss mattress systems offer numerous benefits, particularly in specialized care settings: 

  • Burn patients: These mattresses remove excess moisture from wound exudates, reducing the need for frequent nursing interventions for skin care, repositioning, or hygiene, allowing staff to focus on more critical needs of patients and their families.3 
  • Patients with obesity: People with obesity are also at increased risk of stress incontinence and diaphoresis, as well as heat and moisture trapping between the body and the support surface. A support surface that optimizes pressure redistribution and microclimate control is required.4 Low Air Loss mattresses help manage these issues by optimizing pressure redistribution and microclimate control, which is essential for patient comfort and skin health. 
  • Patients with damp skin due to sweating, incontinence, or fever can benefit from a surface that effectively manages moisture.5 Proper skin microclimate management can increase tolerance to mechanical loading, reducing tissue deformation and the risk of pressure injuries. 

How to Select the Right Low Air Loss Mattress? 

According to the EPUAP/NPIAP/PPPIA Clinical Practice Guideline 2019, choosing the right support surface should prioritize microclimate control and shear reduction.5 Therefore, it is not only important for an air mattress to have the low air loss feature, but the mattress's top cover must also meet standards of permeability. The guideline specifies that the Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate (MVTR) of the mattress cover should ideally be ≥ 300 g/m²/24hrs to maintain a proper balance between skin moisture and Trans-Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL).6 

This helps maintain skin integrity, prevents excessive moisture build-up, reduces the risk of maceration, and enhances comfort. 

What is the Difference Between an Alternating Pressure Mattress and a Low Air Loss Mattress? 

According to the EPUAP/NPIAP/PPPIA Clinical Practice Guideline 2019, selecting support surfaces require considering several key support surface characteristics: 5 

  1. Pressure redistribution 
  2. Friction and shear management 
  3. Microclimate management 

An alternating pressure mattress excels in pressure redistribution, while a low air loss mattress provides effective microclimate management, reducing pressure injury risks caused by heat and moisture.  

Therefore, if an air mattress meets all three recommended characteristics from the guideline, it can significantly enhance pressure injury prevention. 

 Best Low Air Loss Mattress: Serene Air 

Low Air Loss mattresses are commonly used in both acute and post-acute care settings to help prevent pressure injuries. Here are three key features to consider when selecting an air mattress based on guidelines, along with corresponding solutions from Serene Air: 

  • Pressure Redistribution: The Serene Air system features both alternating and static modes. The alternating mode provides pressure redistribution through cyclic changes in loading and unloading (i.e., inflation and deflation of air-filled cells), while the static mode ensures proper immersion and envelopment to maximize pressure redistribution of the skin tissue in contact with the mattress. This design enhances user comfort and reduces the risk of pressure injuries. 
  • Friction and Shear Management: The seat inflation mode of Serene Air provides adequate postural support to prevent shear in the coccyx, sacrum, and buttocks.7 Additionally, Wellell's top cover offers low shear and low friction while providing optimal immersion and envelopment, further protecting these vulnerable areas. 
  • Microclimate Management: The Serene Air system, equipped with a powerful blower system (over 1,300 lpm), delivers reliable True Low Air Loss, ensuring effective microclimate control and improving patient outcomes. The top cover also boasts a moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) greater than 500 g/m²/24 hrs, ensuring high moisture vapor permeability.  

If you are looking for a solution to provide effective microclimate management, please consider the Serene Air Serene - Wellell US/ Serene - Wellell Global
Explore the Impact of Pressure Injuries on your hospital 
Related Article：
Resources： 

  1. Clinical Practice Guideline 2019. Section 2: The Etiology of Pressure Injuries : Introduction. Page 16
  2. Clinical Practice Guideline 2019. Section 10: Support Surfaces: Introduction. Page 155 
  3. Leeder CJ. Use of the low air loss bed system in treatment of burns patients. Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg. 1979;13(1):159-61. doi: 10.3109/02844317909013046. PMID: 451464.  
  4. Clinical Practice Guideline 2019. Section 10: Support Surfaces: Recommendation 7.3. Page 158 
  5. Clinical Practice Guideline 2019. Section 10: Support Surfaces: Selecting a Support Surface in All Care Settings. Page 157 
  6. Clinical Practice Guideline 2019. Section 10: Support Surfaces.Page 162
  7. Clinical Practice Guideline 2019. Section 10: Support Surfaces.Page 169 


FAQs About Low Air Loss Mattresses

Q1. Do I have to turn patients on a low air loss mattress?
        Yes. While it helps reduce pressure, patients still need regular turning to prevent pressure ulcers and support circulation.

Q2. What is the difference between a low air loss mattress and an air fluidized mattress?
        Low air loss uses airflow to reduce moisture and pressure. Air fluidized beds use beads and air to create a fluid-like surface for advanced wound care.

Q3. Can a low air loss mattress be used at home?
        Yes. Many models are designed for home use and can help manage or prevent pressure ulcers in home care settings.

Q4. Should I put sheets on a low air loss mattress?
        Use only light, breathable sheets. Thick bedding can block airflow and reduce the mattress's effectiveness in pressure relief and moisture control.