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
Patients at risk of Ulnar Neuropathy (4):
- Male,
- high BMI,
- older,
- prolonged postop bed rest
Ulnar nerve passes behind ________ and under the_______ that holds the two muscle bodies of the ___________ together.
medial epicondyle;
aponeurosis
flexor carpi ulnaris
Elbow: Proximal edge of aponeurosis (______ ______ ______) is thick, especially in men
This structure stretches from the ____ to the ______.
cubital tunnel retinaculum
medial epicondyle to the olecranon.
Flexion of the elbow stretches the ________ and puts a lot of stress on the ______ nerve as it passes underneath
retinaculum
ulnar
T/F: Ulnar nerve is the only major peripheral nerve in the body that always passes on the flexor side of a joint…….. the elbow!
All other major peripheral nerves primarily pass on the extension side
False :(
Ulnar nerve is the only major peripheral nerve in the body that always passes on the extensor side of a joint…….. the elbow!
All other major peripheral nerves primarily pass on the flexion side
Peripheral nerves start to lose function and can develop ischemia when stretched:
> 5% of their resting length
________ degree elbow flexion stretches the ulnar nerve
> 90 (110)
Ulnar nerve injury can occur by:
a compression at nerve between the table and medial epicondyle
Ulnar nerve injury can be prevented by:
- supination,
- avoid hypotension and hypoperfusion.
- Pad arms properly
Ulnar nerve injury Manifested by:
- Inability to abduct the 5th finger.
- Weakness
- Atrophy of hand muscles “claw-hand”
- Numbness, tingling or pain in the lateral aspect of the hand on the side of the ulnar nerve injury
Other contributing factors for Ulnar Neuropathy (4)
- Patient characteristics
- Abnormal ulnar nerves before surgery (Contralateral neuropathy)
- Poorly formed fibrotendinous roof of the cubital tunnel
- External compression in the absence of stretch
Patient characteristics that contribute to ulnar neuropathy:
- prolonged bedrest
- high body mass index
Men:
- 1.5 times larger tubercle of the coronoid process
- less adipose tissue,
- thicker cubital tunnel retinaculum
(elderly also at risk of these).
Outcomes of Ulnar Neuropathy
- Sensory Only Neuropathy:
- Sensory and Motor Ulnar Neuropathy:
Sensory Only Neuropathy:
* 40% resolve within 5 days
* 80% resolve within 6 month.
Sensory and Motor Ulnar Neuropathy:
* 20% resolve within 6 months
* Many have permanent pain and dysfunction
Many patients don’t notice or complain until up to ______ hours later about nerve injury.
48
What to do about
Sensory-only neuropathy:
&
If both motor and sensory neuropathy:
- Observe patient as most resolve within 5 days
- If it persists for longer then a neurologist consult
- Consult a neurologist as soon as possible
Most common is patients undergoing sternotomy(especially those with internal mammary artery mobilization)
Brachial Plexus Injury
Two of these patients have a higher risk of Brachial Plexus Injury than the other one:
a. Patient in prone
b. Patient supine
c. patient lateral
A & C - Patients in prone and lateral have a higher risk than supine
- Things to think about with Brachial Plexus Injury:
- Brachial plexus
entrapment - Prone positioning
- Anatomy of shoulder abduction
In prone and lateral position patients what can happen to the brachial plexus:
Brachial plexus can become entrapped between compressed clavicles and rib cage
To prevent Brachial Plexus Entrapment it is better if a prone patient has: _______________.
Their arms tucked.
Some patients can have somatosensory-evoked potential changes when their arms are ________ (surrender position).
abducted
Shoulder braces may compress nerve roots and stretch the brachial plexus. (T/F)
True :)
Turning the head (unconscious patient) may stretch the:
Brachial plexus
What can a sternal retractor to do the nerves??
Spreading the sternal retractor causes the clavicle and rib to pinch the brachial plexus.
Unilateral retraction may cause stretching of the nerves.
Shoulder abduction:
Abduction _______ degrees places the distal plexus on the extensor side of the joint and the possibility of stretching the _________.
What is the goal?
> 90
Brachial plexus
Goal is to avoid abduction >90
What can cause Brachial plexus injury?
Excessive external rotation or abduction of the arm.
How to prevent a Brachial plexus injury?
- Avoid > 90 degree abduction
- Avoid arm falling off of table!
- Watch lateral head rotation
- If prone watch flexion and abduction of arms overhead
- Lateral position requires a chest roll
(inaccurately called an axillary roll) which avoids compression of humerus into axilla
Chest roll
Brachial plexus injury manifestations depend on which nerves are injured in the plexus (T/F)
True
Median nerve injury manifestations:
- “Ape hand” deformity, -
- inability to oppose thumb.
Axillary nerve injury manifestations
inability to abduct the arm
Ulnar nerve injury manifestations
“Claw hand” deformity
Musculocutaneous nerve injury manifestations
inability to flex forearm
Radial nerve injury manifestations
Wrist drop
Someone with scapular winging might have:
Long Thoracic Nerve Dysfunction
Long thoracic nerve palsy allows the dorsal protrusion of the scapula
Traumatic in nature
The serratus anterior muscle is supplied by the long thoracic nerve that branches immediately from _________, sometimes _____.
C5-C7; C8
Besides positioning; what else can cause Long Thoracic Nerve Dysfunction?
Virus or Inflammation
What can cause Axillary Neurovascular Injury:
- Abduction of the arm on the arm board > 90 degrees.
- Head of the humerus into the axillary neurovascular bundle.
- Compression and/or stretch injury.
- Compression or occlusion of vessels with decreased perfusion.
- Mastectomy (any breast surgery).
Muscular men with large biceps are susceptible to ______ nerve injury if the arm is fully ________ during surgery.
median;
extended
Median Neuropathies occur mostly in: (2)
- Mostly in men between 20 and 40 years old
- Men with large biceps and decreased flexibility
What are the consequences of a big JUICY bicep haha?
- Prevents complete extension at the elbow
- Creates a shortening of the median nerve over time
Median Neuropathies are usually what type of dysfunction?
and how long does it last?
motor dysfunction and don’t readily resolve.
Around 80% with motor dysfunction are still there 2 years after initial onset.
IVs in the antecubital fossa area can cause?
Median Neuropathies
Things to think about with Median Neuropathies
Stretch of the nerve: nerves become ischemia if stretched >5% of their resting length which can kink penetrating arterioles and exiting venules decreasing perfusion pressure
- When muscular men are anesthetized, their arms are fully extended at the elbow and placed on armboards
Full extension of the elbow stretches the chronically contracted median nerves and promotes ischemia (at the level of the elbow).
What should you do to prevent this ?
Support/pad the forearm and hand to prevent full extension.
Radial Neuropathies are more common than median neuropathies. (T/F)
T R U E
U>R>M
Radial nerve injury is usually compression of the nerve in the __________ area (arising from roots ________ and __________)
mid-humerus;
C6-8; T1
Some of the things that can cause Radial Neuropathies:
- Surgical retractors: compression of the radial nerve by bars used to hold abdominal retraction holders
- Lateral position (impinged by overhead arm boards)
- Unsupported arms/ poles/ repeated cycling of the BP cuff
The radial nerve can be injured if
compressed against spiral groove of humerus and other object (i.e. ether screen or excessive cycling of NIBP).
Radial Nerve Injury symptoms include:
- wrist drop,
- weakness of abduction of the thumb, and
- loss of sensation in web space between thumb and index finger.
DR CUMA
Drop = Radial nerve
Claw = Ulnar Nerve
Median Nerve = Ape hand
Lower Extremity Neuropathies include
- Common peroneal
- Sciatic nerve
- Obturator nerve
- Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve
- Femoral nerve
Great care must be exercised when placing the hip in unusual positions.
Excessive flexion or abduction can injure the ________ and _________ nerves respectively.
lateral femoral cutaneous or obturator
What can cause obturator neuropathy?
- Hip abduction >30 degrees can cause strain on the obturator nerve.
- Excessive hip flexion of the thigh can cause compression
- Excessive traction in abdominal Sx