Immobility Flashcards
Causes of immobility
• Bedrest
• Physical restriction/ limitation of movement—casts, traction
• Damage to the CNS
• Direct trauma to the MS system
Hazards of immobility
• Psychological: Can make you sad not moving
• Nutrition/metabolic: not digest food as well
• Respiratory: lungs can’t expand as well
• Cardiovascular: heart is working overtime to get blood to body
• Musculoskeletal: lose endurance
• Urinary tract: sits still, can lead to bladder/kidney infxns
• Skin: pressure injuries
Assessment: physical exam neuro
- Orientation
• Person, time, place, situation (why are they here) - month, year, what season we’re in
- Level of Consciousness (LOC)
• Alert: awake but can still be confused
• Lethargic (Somnolent): extreme drowsiness
• Stupor (Semicomatose): responds unpurposefully to painful stimuli
• Coma: unresponsive
Glasgow coma scale
- Normal 15
- Patient in coma scores 7 or less
- Eye opening: spontaneously (4), to speech (3), to pain (2), none (1)
- verbal response: oriented (5), confused (4), inappropriate (3), incomprehensible (2), none (1)
- motor response: obeys commands (6), localizes to pain (5), withdraws from pain (4), flexion to pain (3), extension to pain (2), none(1)
Pressure injuries: stages of injuries
• Stage 1: Reddening of skin which does not disappear when pressure relieved
• Stage 2: Superficial circulatory & tissue damage. May appear as blister.
• Stage 3: Destruction of subcutaneous layers
• Stage 4: Destruction of subcutaneous capillaries, muscle mass & possibly bone —> poor blood flow. Can show muscles, tendons, sometimes bone
What does the Braden Scale evaluate?
A. Skin integrity at bony prominences, including any wounds
B. Risk factors that place the patient at risk for skin breakdown (18 or below) (CORRECT)
C. The amount of repositioning that the patient can tolerate
D. The factors that place the patient at risk for poor healing
The effects of immobility on the cardiac system include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)
A. Thrombus formation: heart isn’t able to adequately pump the blood thru. Blood may slow down. Form a clot in the leg (CORRECT)
B. Increased cardiac workload (CORRECT)
C. Increased apical pulse (CORRECT) (heart is working harder)
D. Increased capillary refill
E. Orthostatic hypotension (CORRECT)
The nurse is performing an assessment of an immobilized client. Which of the following causes them to take action?
A. Heart rate 88
B. Reddened area on sacrum (CORRECT)
C. Nonproductive cough
D. Voiding clear yellow urine
Which of the following nursing interventions should be implemented to maintain a patent airway in a patient on bed rest?
A. Isometric exercises
B. Administration of low-dose heparin
C. Suctioning every 4 hours (excessive)
D. Use of incentive spirometer every 1-2 hours while awake (CORRECT)
ASSESSMENT: PHYSICAL EXAM CARDIOVASCULAR & RESPIRATORY
- Heart & Lung Sounds: is heart beating? Do lungs sound clear to auscultation?
- Activity Tolerance
- Orthostatic Hypotension (BP DROPS)
- Signs of Thrombophlebitis (clotting of vein/inflammation of vein)
• Redness, Tenderness, Swelling - result of immobility
ASSESSMENT: PHYSICAL EXAM GI/GU SYSTEMS
- Abdominal distention/ bowel sounds
- Urinary output
- Bowel movement regularity
- Bowel and bladder continence
- can make you constipated if u aren’t moving
ASSESSMENT: PHYSICAL EXAM SKIN INTEGRITY
- Bruises, cuts, scratches, scars —> could be from bones being in one place for so long
- Condition of skin
- Risk factors—sensory/perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, friction/shear
sites for pressure ulcer development
- pts need to be up and moving
- if they can’t move, we need to be turning these pts every 2 hours, putting pillows under them, putting protective pads @ areas that are at risk
braden scale
- score 18 or below = risk for skin breakdown
- Sensory Perception: Completely limited(1), Very limited(2), Slightly limited(3), No impairment(4)
- Moisture: Constantly moist (1), Very moist (2), Occasionally moist (3), Rarely moist (4)
- Activity: Bedfast (1), Chairfast (2), Walks occasionally (3), Walks frequently (4)
- Mobility: Completely immobile (1), Very limited (2)
Slightly limited (3), No limitations (4) - Nutrition: Very poor (1), Probably inadequate (2),
Adequate (3), Excellent (4) - Friction & sheer: Problem (1), Potential problem (2), No apparent problem (3)
ASSESSMENT: PHYSICAL EXAM MOBILITY
- ROM, Muscle Strength –> see if they can move their arms and legs around
- Coordination
- Ability to Perform ADL –> can they use a wash cloth, can they wash their face, can they put their clothes on, etc
- Assistive Devices Needed –> do they need a walker, a cane
- Get Up & Go Test –> how long does it take them to complete it (7-10 sec)