What Is An Underpad?

Under pads, also known as nursing pads, are sanitary products that are used for medical care and care in daily life.

I. What is a underpad used for?

1. Medical care

• In hospitals, underpads are mainly used for hospital beds. For patients who are bedridden for a long time, such as those who cannot move independently due to serious injuries, serious illnesses, and postoperative recovery, underpads can prevent their excretions (such as urine and feces) from soiling the sheets. For example, patients who need to stay in bed for a long time after a fracture may suffer from incontinence due to inconvenience in movement. Underpads can play a good protective role, keep the bed clean and hygienic, and reduce the frequency of medical staff changing bed sheets. At the same time, they can also provide patients with a relatively comfortable and dry environment, which helps prevent complications such as bedsores.

• In delivery rooms, underpads are also widely used. During delivery, mothers will have amniotic fluid outflow and postpartum lochia discharge. Underpads can effectively absorb these fluids, keep the delivery bed clean, and facilitate medical staff to observe the bleeding of mothers.

2. Daily care

• For incontinent people, including elderly people with urinary incontinence due to physical decline, children with bedwetting, etc., underpads can be placed on the beds, sofas and other furniture they use daily. For example, elderly people with Alzheimer's disease may suffer from urinary and fecal incontinence. Using underpads can facilitate caregivers to care and reduce the burden of care.

• During women's menstrual period, underpads can also be placed on bed sheets as an additional protective measure to prevent menstrual blood from leaking and soiling the bed sheets.

II. What are underpads made of?

1. Surface material

The surface of the underpad is generally a soft non-woven material. Non-woven fabrics are soft and skin-friendly, will not irritate the skin, and can make users feel comfortable. In addition, non-woven fabrics have a certain degree of breathability, which helps the skin breathe and reduces the feeling of stuffiness and moisture accumulation.

2. Absorption layer material

The absorption layer is the key part of the underpad, usually made of super absorbent polymer (SAP). This material has a super strong water absorption capacity and can absorb liquid hundreds or even thousands of times its own weight. When contacted with urine or other liquids, SAP will quickly absorb and lock the liquid, prevent the liquid from seeping back, and keep the surface of the underpad dry. At the same time, some underpads will also add fluff pulp to increase the absorption capacity and softness.

3. Bottom layer material

The bottom layer is generally a waterproof PE film. The PE film can effectively prevent liquid leakage and protect the mattress, sheets and other items below from being soiled. Moreover, the PE film usually has a certain toughness and is not easy to break, which can ensure the reliability of the underpad during use.

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III. Specifications and sizes

1. Diverse sizes

Underpads come in a variety of sizes to suit different usage scenarios. Common sizes are 60cm×90cm, which is more suitable for smaller areas such as single beds or wheelchairs; there are also sizes of about 90cm×150cm, which are usually used for larger beds such as hospital beds. In addition, there are some small underpads, such as 30cm×45cm, which are easy to carry and can be used in travel, outings and other scenarios, such as placing them on car seats to prevent children from vomiting and dirtying the seats due to motion sickness.

2. Thickness Difference

The thickness of the underpad is also different. Thinner underpads are relatively light and suitable for daily light care or frequent replacement; thicker underpads have stronger absorption capacity and are more suitable for severe incontinence or long-term bed rest.

IV. How to choose a underpad?

1. Absorption

Choose a underpad with appropriate absorption according to the specific situation of the user. If it is used for people with mild incontinence or as auxiliary protection, a underpad with a slightly lower absorption may be sufficient; but if it is used for long-term bedridden patients with complete incontinence, it is necessary to choose a underpad with high absorption to ensure that it can effectively absorb excrement and reduce the frequency of replacement.

2. Breathability

A underpad with good breathability can keep the user's skin dry and comfortable, especially for people who need to use underpads for a long time, such as long-term bedridden patients or the elderly. A underpad with poor breathability may cause skin problems such as eczema and prickly heat.

3. Brand and quality

Choose a underpad from a well-known brand, the quality is more guaranteed. Well-known brands usually strictly control the selection of materials and production processes, and their products are safer and more effective. At the same time, you can check the evaluation and certification of the product, such as whether it has passed relevant standards such as medical device certification to ensure its quality.