Better hospital mattresses give wallets a rest

If emergency rooms spent 30 cents per patient to buy pressure-reduction mattresses, it could save the hospital $32 per patient, reports UPI. The special mattress could reduce pressure ulcers in high-risk elderly patients who spend hours lying on hard surfaces, according to the article. That would translate into preventing 1,005 pressure ulcers and $7.2 million savings in overall healthcare costs.

"Most pressure ulcers are preventable," said researcher Ba' Pham of University of Toronto in a statement. "Upgrading mattress quality would save money and improve quality of life for elderly patients in emergency departments." Article