What is Low Air Loss Therapy?

True low air loss therapy uses a blower pump to remove excess moisture while immersing the patient into the mattress. Low air loss is defined both by the effectiveness of moisture control and method of moisture control. With the low air loss mattress, moisture is dissipated between the mattress and the cover. The baffles have tiny holes which continually blow air. The moisture from the patient transfers through the vapour permeable fabric cover to interact with the air blowing up from the mattress. This process keeps the patient cool and dry without blowing air directly onto the patient. While reduction of excess moisture is a distinguishing feature of low air loss mattresses, their primary objective is still to immerse the patient into the surface for increased contact area and even redistribution of pressure so blood flow is maintained for areas of high risk.

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