Patient Positioning Flashcards
What do you document from patient positioning?
- Pre-op patient limitations in movement strength, nerve abnormalities.
- Numbness, tingling, loss of sensation to any extremity pre-op
- Foot drop
- Head movement limitations
Head-up, sitting, and lithotomy position effect on hemodynamic changes
Regions above the heart at risk for hypoperfusion and ischemia (esp if hypotensive), COP decreased 20%
Prone and lateral position effect on respiratory system
Redistribute ventilation and perfusion the most in these positions
Lateral decubitus position effect on respiratory system
- Abdominal contents shift cephalad
- Anesthetized patient: Dependent lung (down) underventilated but gravity favors blood flow there. Nondependent lung (up) is over ventilated
- Awake patient: Dependent lung has increased ventilation and blood flow
Prone position effect on respiratory system
Decreased diaphragmatic excursion, abdomen hangs free
Lithotomy and Trendelenburg position effect on respiratory system
- Abdominal viscera shifted cephalad
- TLC, VC, and FRC all decreased
Steep Trendelenburg position effect on respiratory system
- ETT migrates to right mainstem bronchus (recheck breath sounds after position change)
- Increased pulmonary venous pressure
- Decreased pulmonary compliance, FRC (d/t increased central venous pressure from abdominal contents shifting cephalad against diaphragm)
How to prevent V/Q imbalance with positioning
Increase FIO2, TV, RR, maybe PEEP to improve oxygenation
Position that helps lung capacities
Sitting, some say prone
Nerve injuries caused by: (3 things, and common component of all causes)
- Transection (trauma, surgical maneuvers)
- Compression, kinking (against bony prominence, 2 immovable structures, or a hard surface)
- Stretch (causes conduction changes, axonal disruption, or interruption of vascular supply) Common in sciatic or brachial plexus
- Common component of all: Ischemia
Patient risk factors for peripheral nerve injuries
- Male
- Increased muscle decreased adipose
- Body habitus (underweight, obese, bulky)
- DM, HTN, PVD, neuropathy, ETOH
- Smoking within 1 month of surgical procedure
Most common nerve injury in anesthetized patient
Ulnar Neuropathy
Ulnar nerve injured when:
Compressed between medial epicondyle and armboard or bed
Recommendations to avoid ulnar neuropathy
- Tuck arms at the side of the body with palms facing inward
- Place arms in supine position (palm up) and abduct <90 on arm board
- Avoid over flexion of the elbow if secured across chest or in lateral position
Brachial Plexus Injury vulnerable in ___ position
Almost every surgical position (2nd most common peripheral nerve injury)
- Turning head stretches and compresses the contralateral brachial plexus under the clavicle
- Shoulder braces-place over acromion and distal clavicle (not mid clavicle or root of neck)
- Lateral decubitus compresses lower shoulder/axilla - axillary roll caudal to dependent axilla relieves pressure
Common peroneal injury
cause, presentation, prevention
Most common injury in lithotomy position
- Happens when lateral knee is compressed against stirrup
- Presentation: Foot drop, loss of dorsal extension of toes, inability to evert foot
- Prevention: Pad between leg and stirrup, flex knees with minimal rotation
Sciatic injury
cause, presentation, prevention
- Cause: Excessive flexion of hips from overstretching in lithotomy or sitting with legs strait
- Presentation: Weakness in all muscles below the knee, foot drop
- Prevention: Pad under buttocks, avoid external rotation of hips, flex table at knees
Femoral nerve injury
Cause, Presentation
- Cause: Trapped under inguinal ligament from extreme flexion/abduction of thighs or excessive traction during lower abdominal surgery
- Presentation: Decreased knee jerk, loss of flexion of hip and extension of knee, reduced sensation over anterior thigh
Saphenous nerve injury
Cause, presentation, prevention
- Cause: Medial tibial condyle compressed by leg support in lithotomy position
- Presentation: Parasthesia along medial/anteriomedial calf
- Prevention: Pad between leg and stirrup