Outpatient Surgery Magazine

Post Your Prices Online - September 2013 - Outpatient Surgery Magazine - Subscribe

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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OSE_1309_part3_Layout 1 9/6/13 12:21 PM Page 141 SAFETY Understand the importance of managing patients after DVT preventative measures are started. For example, constantly assess the skin under SCDs or compression stockings to ensure pressure injuries have not occurred. It may sound like basic advice, but make sure SCDs are activated and remain running throughout their hospital stays. Stress the importance to patients Be sure to educate patients on why DVT prevention matters and why they're attached to compression devices and wearing antiembolism stockings. Recovering patients are sometimes unhooked from the devices or have their stockings removed in order to ambulate following surgery, and don't understand the importance of reapplying the prophylaxis measures when they return to their beds. Others might forgo SCDs because the power unit is noisy or ignore the stockings because they're hot or uncomfortable. None of those factors are acceptable reasons for sidestepping DVT prevention, and that's something patients need to clearly understand. Also emphasize that DVT risks remain even after patients are discharged to home, especially following outpatient procedures. Ensure patients watch for swelling or redness in extremities, particularly along the legs or around the ankles or feet. Shortness of breath and chest pains are indicators that clots have progressed to pulmonary emboli, and necessitate an immediate call to the surgeon and visit to the local emergency room. OSM 4 On the Web Use this helpful tool to determine how high a patient's DVT risks are and which recommended treatment is appropriate: tinyurl.com/pw8jyqp Ms. Marsh (cheryl.marsh@harrishealth.org) is the nurse clinical educator at Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital in Houston, Texas. S E P T E M B E R 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E 1 4 1

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