{
  "id": 821391,
  "title": "BathMat trial shows promise in cutting ICU workload while improving care for critically ill patients",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/bathmat-trial-shows-promise-in-cutting-icu-workload-while-improving",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-13T23:20:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-bathmat-trial-icu-workload-critically.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An inflatable repositioning device called the BathMat, developed by researchers and clinicians at the University of Bath and Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, has shown promise in reducing ICU workload while improving care for critically ill patients. The device was part of a clinical trial involving 30 patients and 160 repositioning procedures, which concluded in June. The BathMat reduces the number of staff needed to reposition prone, ventilated patients from five to three, while also saving an hour of staff time per repositioning. Led by Dr. Alexander Lunt, the project's senior lecturer and lead engineer, the BathMat was inspired by the challenges faced by intensive care teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. The device, an inflatable pillow placed beneath the patient's chest and abdomen, allows for safe repositioning with as few as two staff members, compared to up to seven traditionally required. Dr. Jerome Condry, the trial's chief investigator, emphasized the importance of regular repositioning to prevent pressure injuries, particularly for patients with complex care needs or a high body mass index. The BathMat has the potential to make prone ventilation more accessible, consistent, and less physically demanding for healthcare professionals, ultimately benefiting patients across the NHS. Once in routine use, the BathMat could deliver even greater benefits for patients and staff than observed in this trial.",
  "summary": "An innovative inflatable repositioning device developed by researchers and clinicians at the University of Bath and Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust could significantly reduce the number of staff required to care for prone, ventilated patients, according to preliminary findings from a clinical trial.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}