David Brienza, associate dean of research at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences has been awarded a $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study which hospital-bed technologies work best to prevent and treat bed sores — pressure wounds that can lead to serious infections and death. The grant will be used for a randomized study of 800 patients at UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Montefiore over the next three years to determine whether special mattresses that wick away moisture and circulate air under the patient are effective at preventing pressure injuries.
