J a n u a r y 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 6 1
T
he patient is intubated and in stirrups. Before you drape
and tilt the table into Trendelenburg, remember that if a
patient in tilt shifts or slides even a few centimeters on
the OR table, a long list of serious injuries much more
severe than sheared skin can occur. Some examples:
• Shoulder restraints can compress or stretch the brachial plexus,
with subsequent palsy, which can be permanent.
• Stirrup posts can crush hands, pinch fingers, and bend wrists
backward or forward.
• The head-down tilt can raise intraocular pressure and intensify
glaucoma.
• Abdominal organs pushing toward the chest can lean so heavily on
the lungs that they can't expand enough to oxygenate the blood,
Trendelenburg
Slide
Stop
the
Positioning tips to keep
patients safe while they're
in a steep head-down tilt.
Brent Klev, MBa, BSn, rn
South Jordan, utah
• FIRM HOLD Several restraints have been developed to keep patients from shifting or sliding while they're in a steep head-down tilt.
Brent
Klev,
MBA,
BSN,
RN
