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Elective Surgery is Essential - August 2020 - Subscribe to Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.

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P utting patients in steep Trendelenburg is arguably one of the most challenging position- ing tasks your OR staff faces. With the num- ber of robotic urologic and gynecological pro- cedures on the rise, the steep version of this position will be more frequently used moving forward. To prevent all-too-common issues such as skin tears, pressure injuries and other complications associated with this gravity- defying, slide-inducing position, let's look at everything that goes into keeping the patient as safe as possible every time you tilt them head down. 6 6 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 Emma Greene, BSN, RN, CNOR | Atlanta Understand all of the risk factors The risks associated with the Trendelen- burg position increase the steeper patients are angled and the longer they remain in the position. If a procedure is taking longer than three hours, consider flattening the patient out for a few minutes to give their body a break from the physical stressors of the position. Gravity increases intraocular and Safe and Standardized Trendelenburg Positioning Avoid skin tears, pressure injuries and other complications by paying extra attention to common problem areas. FULL TILT A test run in the Trendelenburg position is a good way to easily spot positioning problems that could affect the patient during the surgery.

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