A P R I L 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 4 9
F
rom speed bumps and sticky pads to arm tucks and tilt
tests, you pull out all the stops to protect patients when
you place them in the Trendelenburg position. Here are
6 tips to keep their bodies from sliding and their skin
from shearing.
1. Lithotomy-Trendelenburg.
Anytime you go into a lithoto-
my-Trendelenburg position — supine with the legs separated, flexed
and supported in raised stirrups — you need to worry about position-
ing injuries. Most of the time it's a peroneal nerve injury, caused by
Keep Patients Safe in Steep Trendelenburg
Here's a heads-up on what to do when patients are heads-down.
• NO SLIP SLIDING AWAY Make sure the patient is secure and doesn't slide on the table when put into the Trendelenburg
position.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
Mike Morsch | Associate Editor
