A P R I L 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 5 5
w OVERLOOKED DANGERS There are so many different things to
hook up and get going before the drapes go on that it's easy to rush
through and overlook positioning dangers. Note the forced-air warm-
ing tube resting between the patient's legs. Had the tube been rest-
ing on the patient's foot for a couple hours, it could have prevented
blood from perfusing to the toe and caused post-op numbness and
tingling and possibly nerve damage. Similarly, you wouldn't want an
upper-body warming tube to rest against a patient's arm (in that situ-
ation, we'd suspend the tube from a clamp on the IV pole). Also note
the egg crate under the patient's heels to prevent skin breakdown.
Because he's sitting up, blood is flowing down toward his feet.
