Interventional study of the effect of trunk support provision on the body pressure and ventilation volume in the prone position in healthy young and older women.
Akihiro Sato, Akiko Ajimi, Yuko Omiya and 1 others
PMID 39624350WHAT IT FOUND
In healthy women, prone trunk supports lowered facial pressure but increased chest pressure.
Tidal volume remained stable, though lung capacity decreased in young women. This suggests supports may reduce facial ulcer risk without compromising basic breathing, but chest compression is a trade-off.
Key findings
01Trunk support insertion decreased facial pressure in a height-dependent manner, with older women showing the highest baseline pressure without support.
02Trunk support insertion increased chest pressure, with higher supports causing greater compression, but this did not significantly change tidal volume in either group.
03Lung capacity significantly decreased in young women with high trunk support, but no significant change in lung capacity was observed in older women.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy women, so findings may not apply to men or patients with existing respiratory or musculoskeletal conditions. The high trunk support height (1,300 mm) may not reflect typical clinical setups. Compensatory movements of the trunk and pelvis were not analyzed, which may have influenced pressure readings. The sample size was small (22 participants).
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that trunk supports are safe for all patients. While tidal volume was preserved in healthy women, the significant increase in chest pressure and decrease in lung capacity in young women suggests that respiratory mechanics are altered, which could be harmful in patients with compromised lung function.