Study ID	Specific alternating pressure (active) air surfaces	Specific comparators
Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces versus another type of alternating pressure (active) air surface
Ballard 1997	Debut MR mattress (SSI Hill‐Rom), with a one‐in‐four alternating cycle lasting 30 minutes	Nimbus (HNE Huntleigh, with a 10‐minute cycle).
Demarre 2012	Alternating air mattress with the multi‐stage inflation and deflation of air cells (Hill‐Rom ClinActiv, with 10‐ to 12‐minute cycle times)	Standard alternating air mattress (Hill‐Rom Alto mattress, with a 10‐minute cycle time)
Gray 2008	Softform Premier Active Mattress (consisting of a foam mattress with a dynamic underlay having a 10‐minute cycle)	Standard alternating pressure air mattress
Grindley 1996	Nimbus II mattress (Huntleigh Healthcare, with a 10‐minute cycle)	Pegasus Airwave (with a 7.5‐minute cycle)
Hampton 1997	Cairwave Therapy System (Pegasus Airwave Ltd, with a 7.5‐minute cycle and a 30‐minute static mode)	Pegasus Airwave
Nixon 2006	Alternating pressure replacement mattress (with a 7.5‐ to 30‐minute cycle time)	Alternating pressure overlay (with a 7.5– to 30‐minute cycle time)
Pring 1998	Nimbus II (with a 10‐minute cycle)	Two comparators were used Pegasus Airwave Quattro DC2000 (operating in a one‐in‐four sequential cycle)
Rafter 2011	Dyna‐Form Mercury Advance (with a 10‐minute cycle), consisting of the foam inside the alternating cells and being a static mattress combined with a dynamic alternating system	Softform Premier Active, consisting of the foam inside the alternating cells and being a static mattress combined with a dynamic alternating system.
Taylor 1999	Pegasus Trinova (an integrated dynamic mattress and chair cushion that have a static mattress in combination with a dynamic alternating system, with a 7.5‐minute cycle)	Alternative dynamic mattress system (with a 10‐minute cycle)
Theaker 2005	KCI TheraPulse bed (with low‐air‐loss feature), either applied at a 5‐ to 10‐minute alternating pressure cycle or continuously static	Hill‐Rom Duo mattress, either applied at a 5‐ to 10‐minute alternating pressure cycle or continuously static
Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces versus foam surfaces
Bliss 1995	Large cell Ripple bed (with a 10‐minute interval of alternating pressure)	Three types of foam mattresses, each as an arm: Groove contoured foam overlay Modular Propad Preventix foam mattress. The characteristics (e.g. densities) of these foam were unspecified
Nixon 2019	Alternating pressure air mattress (with a 7.5– to 30‐minute cycle time)	High‐specification foam mattress (high‐density foam, and/or viscoelastic (memory) foam)
Rosenthal 2003	Low‐air‐loss suspension bed (TheraPulse bed)	A medium density polyurethane foam overlay
Sauvage 2017	Alternating pressure air mattress (Axtair One, with a 6‐minute cycle)	Viscoelastic foam mattress (ALOVA mattress, high resilience foam with a density > 34 kg/m3 and an upper layer of viscoelastic foam of density > 75 kg/m3)
Stapleton 1986	Large Cell Ripple (Talley)	Polyether foam pad, more details not specified
Whitney 1984	Alternating pressure mattress (with a 3‐minute cycle)	A polyurethane convoluted foam pad, more details not specified
Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces versus reactive air surfaces
Beeckman 2019	A range of alternating air pressure support surfaces (with a 3– to 30‐minute cycle time)	Static air support surfaces (Repose)
Cavicchioli 2007	Alternating low pressure modality of Duo2 (Hill‐Rom)	Continuous low pressure modality of Duo2
Finnegan 2008	A specialised alternating therapy support surface (Nimbus 3 Professional, Huntleigh Healthcare LLC)	Air‐fluidised bed system (Clinitron, Hill‐Rom Inc)
Jiang 2014	Dynamic air mattress (Sanma mattress manufacturing), more details not specified	Static air mattress (WAFFLE® static air mattress, EHOB)
Malbrain 2010	NIMBUS 3 mattress (with a 10‐minute cycle)	ROHO dry floatation mattress overlay
Price 1999	Dynamic flotation mattress NIMBUS II plus Alpha TranCell system	Repose
Sideranko 1992	Alternating air mattress (Lapidus Airfloat System)	Static air mattresses (Gaymar Sof Care bed cushion)
Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces versus reactive water surfaces
Andersen 1982	Alternating‐pressure air‐mattress, more details not specified	Water‐filled mattresses, more details not specified
Bliss 1995	Large cell Ripple bed (with a 10‐minute interval of alternating pressure)	Ardo Watersoft
Sideranko 1992	Alternating air mattress (Lapidus Airfloat System)	Water mattress (Lotus PXM 3666)
Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces versus reactive fibre surfaces
Bliss 1995	Large cell Ripple bed (with a 10‐minute interval of alternating pressure)	Two types of fibre‐filled mattresses, each as an arm: Spenco (cotton hollow‐core fibre‐filled) Surgicgoods Hollowcore Mattress fibre‐filled pad
Conine 1990	Alternating pressure (active) air mattress, more details not specified	Silicore mattress overlay (consisting of siliconised hollow fibers)
Daechsel 1985	Alternating pressure (active) air mattress, more details not specified	Silicore mattress overlay (consisting of siliconised hollow fibers)
Stapleton 1986	Large cell Ripple (Talley)	Spenco pad
Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces in operating tables and subsequently on ward beds versus reactive gel surfaces used on operating tables followed by foam surfaces applied on ward beds
Aronovitch 1999	MicroPulse System used during and after operations	Conventional management consisting of a gel pad (Action Pad) used in the operating room and a foam mattress or overlay used on the hospital bed
Russell 2000	MicroPulse System used during and after operations	Conventional management consisting of a gel pad (Action Pad) used in the operating room and a foam mattress or overlay used on the hospital bed
Alternating pressure (active) air surfaces versus standard hospital surfaces
Andersen 1982	Alternating‐pressure air‐mattress, more details not specified	Standard hospital mattress, more details not specified
Bliss 1967	Large‐celled Ripple bed consisting of 14 large cells and with a cycle of four to five minutes	Standard hospital mattress, more details not specified
Laurent 1998	Comparison (a): Nimbus used in ICU and standard mattress applied postoperatively (details of standard mattress not specified) Comparison (b): Nimbus in ICU and Tempur (CLP) used postoperatively	Comparison (a): standard hospital mattresses used in both ICU and post‐operation (details of standard mattress not specified) Comparison (b): standard mattress in ICU and Tempur (CLP) postoperatively (details of standard mattress not specified)
Sanada 2003	Two types of alternating pressure (active) air surfaces, both alternating pressure at 5‐minute intervals, each as an arm: Double‐layer air‐cell overlay (Tricell®) Single‐layer air‐cell overlay (Air Doctor®)	Standard hospital mattress made of polyester (Paracare®)