A new neurostimulation device promotes blood circulation and maintains healthy tissue in people who are bedridden or chair bound.

The Rehabtronics (Vancouver, Canada) Prelivia neurostimulator is designed to activate local blood circulation in order to safeguard a patient from pressure injuries. The device is based on proprietary electrodes (placed onto the skin of the patient’s at-risk area), which deliver an intermittent electrical stimulation (every 10 minutes) to the tissue. Unlike similar systems delivering continuous electrical impulses, the Prelivia delivers stimulation without fatiguing muscles. And since there are no time restrictions, Prelivia can be used 24/7 to keep tissue healthy.

“Due to COVID-19, even more patients are suffering from unavoidable pressure injuries, and if it weren't for the herculean efforts of nurses, the incidence of bedsores would be substantially higher than they are today,” said Rahul Samant, MD, CEO of Rehabtronics. “Prelivia offers a much-needed alternative to patients at risk for bed sores and their care givers, who are required to turn patients every two hours to prevent these injuries. Prelivia gives nurses a new tool to help protect their patients from pressure injuries.”

“Annually, more than 2.5 million people in the United States suffer from pressure injuries, also known as bed sores, and up to 60,000 people die. Every year, more people die from pressure injuries than from automobile accidents in the USA alone,” said Professor David Armstrong, MD, of the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, USA). “Prelivia is the first innovation in 70 years aimed at protecting patients from pressure injuries. The potential promise of Prelivia to maximize ulcer-free, hospital-free and activity-rich days is enormously exciting.”

Pressure ulcers are lesions caused by factors such as unrelieved pressure; friction; humidity; shearing forces; temperature; age; continence; and medication. They can occur in any part of the body, but especially over bony or cartilaginous areas such as the sacrum, elbows, knees, and ankles. Although often prevented and treatable if found early, they can be very difficult to prevent in frail elderly patients, wheelchair users, and terminally ill patients. 

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