What Bed Size Does a Patient Need? The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Space Required to Turn in Bed.
Neal Wiggermann, Kathryn Smith, Dee Kumpar
PMID 28968285WHAT IT FOUND
In healthy adults, BMI predicted the bed width needed to turn from back to side.
The authors suggest using BMI to choose bed size, especially when patients cannot reposition themselves.
Key findings
01BMI was strongly correlated with the space needed to turn from lying on the back to lying on the side (adjusted R² = .88 for one direction and .86 for both directions).
02BMI, waist circumference, and waist breadth were most strongly correlated with turning space, while height and chest circumference were poorly correlated.
03The authors proposed BMI-based bed widths: for patients unable to self-reposition, BMI up to 35 kg/m² could use a 91-cm bed, up to 40 kg/m² a 102-cm bed, and over 40 kg/m² a 127-cm bed; for patients able to self-reposition, BMI up to 45 kg/m² could use a 91-cm bed, up to 55 kg/m² a 102-cm bed, and over 55 kg/m² a bariatric bed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study measured healthy adults, not older or deconditioned hospital patients, so a patient with the same BMI may need more or less space than predicted. The bed-width guidance is based on population averages from regression, so some patients will not fit the predicted space. The recommendations consider only the space needed to turn, not additional space from repeated turning, shifting, braces, equipment, or other care activities such as physical therapy. The study did not evaluate patient comfort, satisfaction, pressure injuries, falls, or caregiver injury outcomes. All authors were employees of a hospital bed manufacturer, and one author owned stock in that company.
Declared interests
All authors were employees of Hill-Rom, a hospital bed manufacturer. Kathryn Smith also owned stock in Hill-Rom.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these BMI bed-width thresholds as proven to prevent pressure injuries or improve comfort. The study measured turning space in healthy adults, not patient-care outcomes, and did not evaluate comfort, satisfaction, pressure injuries, or caregiver injury.