Week 11 - Positioning Flashcards
Problems arising from positioning such as peripheral neuropathies injuries fall under the doctrine “_____________” “the thing speaks for itself”
Res ispa loquitur
What does Res ispa loquitur imply?
This implies the injury sustained is so evident that it would not have occurred without negligence from someone else
- Patient only has to prove that there was an injury . . .
T/F: Positioning problems can result in significant injuries and successful
lawsuits.
True
The goal of the Anesthesia Closed Claims Project is to:
identify major safety concerns, patterns of injury and strategies for prevention to improve patient safety
by anesthesiologists working in pain management, operating rooms, labor floor, remote locations and critical care.
Tissue _______ and ________ are most commonly associated with positioning-related problems in anesthetized or sedated patients
Stretch and Compression
Stretch (especially ______ of normal resting length) can cause: (3)
> 5%
- Kinks or decreases lumens feeding arterioles and draining venules
- Direct Ischemia from reduced arteriole blood flow
- Indirect ischemia from venous congestion
Compression: (________ or ________)
neuropraxia ; axonotmesis
Compression: (neuropraxia or axonotmesis) can cause and result in:
- Direct pressure reduces local blood flow and disrupts cellular integrity
Results in:
- tissue edema,
- ischemia and
- possibly necrosis
T/F: Padding can create compression injury’
T
The MOA of positioning injury is not clear (T/F)
True :)
What can increase the risk of Positioning Injury (6)?
Perioperative inflammatory Responses:
- Inflammatory neuropathy
- Microvascular neuropathies
- Autoimmune disease/Viruses/immunosuppression
- Radiation-induced
- Systemic inflammation from drugs, or
- Transfusions of blood products.
I-SMART
Goals of Proper Positioning (7):
- clear view of the surgical site.
- Provides the best access to the surgical site
- best position for the optimal administration of drugs
- Can reduce bleeding before/during/after the surgery.
- Decreases the risk of pressure and nerve-related injuries
- Can prevent or reduce the risk of respiratory problems.
- Prevents/reduces risks associated with circulatory issues
Team Member Responsibilities
Surgeon:
Optimal procedural exposure
Team Member Responsibilities
Anesthesia:
- Physiologic requirements (ABC’s)
- Ongoingassessment
- Ensure patient safety
Team Member Responsibilities
Nursing:
- Safe transfer
- Use of adequate padding and positioning aids
- Ongoing assessment
A thorough assessment of risk factors for complications related to positioning should be an integral part of the :
preoperative evaluation
A history of which surgeries may need special positioning considerations:
- Knee
- Back
- Hip
- Neck
ask them how they feel comfy before putting to sleep
Positioning is a Shared Responsibility.
You MUST document every _______ _____, and how you protected the patient.
- position change.
is the biggest physiologic consequence of position changes
Hypotension
If _____, ______, or ________ moves you must recheck and document breath sounds.
head, neck, or whole body.
Patients are unconscious and relaxed and can often be placed in positions not normally tolerated (T/F)
True
Common Perioperative Neuropathies:
- Ulnar Neuropathies
- Brachial Plexopathies
- Median Neuropathies
- Radial Neuropathies
- Lower Extremity Neuropathies
Most COMMON perioperative neuropathy
Ulnar Neuropathy
- Key factors associated with ulnar neuropathy: (3)
- Direct extrinsic nerve compression (often medial aspect of elbow)
- Intrinsic nerve compression (associated with prolonged elbow flexion)
- Inflammation