Objective: To explore the effect of memory foam pad in preventing pressure injury(PI) during gynecological lithotomy, and to elucidate the basic mechanism of preventing PI based on the microstructure and physical and chemical properties of the material. Methods: 100 patients undergoing lithotomy surgery for gynecological malignancies were divided into a control group and an observation group according to the random number table method, with 50 patients in each group. The observation group used memory foam pads, while the control group used silicone gel pads. Using the Tactilus pressure sensing system, we recorded the maximum pressure, average pressure, and average contact area between the patient's sacrococcygeal area and the surgical bed at different time points: before surgery(T0), after anesthesia(T1), at the start of surgery(T2), 0.5 h(T3), 1 h(T4), 2 h(T5), 3 h(T6), and at the end of surgery(T7). After the surgery, the incidence of PI was evaluated. Combined with instrumental analysis techniques, the basic principle of pressure distribution of memory foam pads was elucidated from composition, material properties, moisture absorption performance, and glass transition temperature. Results: (1) Compared with the control group(16.0%), the incidence of PI in the observation group(4.0%) was significantly lower(P<0.05);(2) The maximum and average pressures at the sacrococcygeal of the control group patients at T1~T7 were greater than those of the observation group, the average contact area was smaller than that of the observation group, and the difference had statistical significance(P<0.05);(3) The main chemical component of memory foam pads was polyether polyurethane, with smaller porosity, greater density, lower moisture absorption, a glass transition temperature of 15.26 ℃, and slow resilience. Conclusion: Memory foam pads can increase the average contact area, distribute pressure and reduce the interface pressure due to its unique material characteristics, which can effectively reduce the incidence of PI during gynecological lithotomy position surgery. This study provides reference for preventing PI. |