Hospital patient uses Australian Medical Sheepskin

Medical sheepskin work wins MJA/Wyeth award

Medical sheepskin work wins MJA/Wyeth award.

• 2 May 2008 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Clinical trials
• How Australian Medical Sheepskins work
• About the researchers
• About the MJA / Wyeth Award

Dr Ken Montgomery, CSIRO, and his associates at Deakin University, Melbourne University, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Fremantle Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital won the Medical Journal of Australia/Wyeth Award for their clinical research work on medical sheepskins.

Clinical trials

During a six-month study at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, the CSIRO team, headed by Dr Ken Montgomery, compared the susceptibility to the condition of 218 patients allocated a sheepskin mattress overlay, with a 223-patient reference group. 

The ‘randomised controlled trial’ (RCT), involved:

• CSIRO
• Deakin and Melbourne universities
• The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Fremantle and St Vincent’s hospitals.

The trial has confirmed that when used as a mattress overlay the Australian Medical Sheepskin (AMS) can reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers by 58 per cent. This represents a significant cost saving to the Australian medical system and patients

Funding for this clinical trial was provided through a project grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and the Sir Edward Dunlop Medical Research Foundation.

How Australian Medical Sheepskins work

Sheepskins have up to 6 000 wool fibres per square centimetre, providing a natural cushion to distribute the weight of the patient over a large area. This relieves the pressure at vulnerable points on the patient’s body.

The wool fibres reduce stress and friction on the patient’s skin.

Because the wool fibres absorb up to 33 per cent of their dry weight in moisture without feeling damp, they can rapidly absorb and disperse moisture such as perspiration and urine, leaving the patient to rest comfortably.

About the researchers

Dr Ken Montgomery (now retired) led the project from the development of the Australian Standard through two clinical trials. He was assisted by Mr Mark Hickey, who currently runs the industry consultancy service.

Other CSIRO team members were Mrs Jacinta Meyer, Dr Yen Truong, Mr Ray Reddie, Mr Vic Perri and Ms Marta Duklan.

About the MJA /Wyeth Award

The Medical Journal of Australia (MJA), together with Wyeth Australia award an annual prize for the best clinical research published in the MJA, as judged by independent experts. Since 1995, this award has been given for first class clinical research, encompassing acute medicine, environmental and public health, and the health of Australian Indigenous people.

The 10th MJA/Wyeth Prize was awarded at the 2005 National AMA Conference in Darwin by Dr Michael Lee, Medical Director Wyeth Australia to Associate Professor Damien Jolley and co-investigators Robyn Wright, Sunita McGowan, Mark Hickey, Don Campbell, Rodney Sinclair and Kenneth Montgomery. Their research addressed the prevention of a common but unglamourous condition: the pressure ulcer.

Get more detail in the Australian Medical Sheepskins brochure.