Abstract: BACKGROUND: Reduction of sacrococcygeal pressure is the most direct and effective method to prevent the early sacrococcygeal pressure injury. Currently, there are a variety of materials in the market, but there is still insufficient evidence for the correct selection of pressure-relieving mattress in clinical practice.
OBJECTIVE: To measure the sacrococcygeal pressure value, sacrococcygeal skin temperature value and observe the change of skin color of healthy people lying supine on three kinds of mattresses at different periods, in order to explore a medical mattress with better decompression effect.
METHODS: Totally 33 healthy subjects were selected from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine aged 18 to 35 years old, body mass index of 18.5-23.9 kg/m2. At 1, 2, and 3 days of the experiment, subjects were recumbent in latex mattresses, static pressure ulcers prevention mattresses, and ordinary mattress. At set time points (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 hours), the sacral pressure value, the tail in the cauda equina compression of color, and skin temperature were detected. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) After 0.5-2 hours of test, the sacrotail pressure of latex mattress group was lower than that of static pressure ulcers prevention mattresses group and ordinary mattress group (P < 0.05). (2) There was no significant difference in the temperature values of the compression parts of the three mattress groups during 0-0.5 hours (P=0.587). During 0.5-2.0 hours of the test, the temperature of pressure position in latex mattress group was lower than that in static pressure ulcers prevention mattresses group and ordinary mattress group (P < 0.05). (3) During 0.5-1.5 hours of the test, the color of the sacrococcygeal compression parts of the subjects in the three mattress groups did not change. During the experiment of 1.5-2.0 hours, the color of the sacrococcygeal compression site of the subjects in the latex mattress group did not change, while that of the static pressure ulcers prevention mattresses group altered in one case, and that of the ordinary mattress group altered in two cases. (4) The results showed that, compared with the other two mattresses, the latex mattress can effectively reduce the sacrococcygeal pressure, and has good heat dissipation and air permeability, and plays an effective role in preventing the early pressure injury. 

Key words: mattress, sacral tail, stress injury, prevention, latex, pressure sore