Outpatient Surgery Magazine - Subscribers

Say Yes to Total Hips - March 2014 - 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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1 4 3 M A R C H 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT 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 John D. Kelly IV, MD CUTTING REMARKS Don't You Just Hate Confusing Post-Op Orders? The clearer that I can make my discharge instructions, the better. I 'm blessed with very thorough PACU nurses, but not even the most conscientious nurse can over- come my confusing post-op orders. Here are 4 exam- ples that clearly illustrate my point. • Can I put weight on this leg? After speaking to families and delineating post-op care, invariably I'll be in a case and receive a call to my OR from the PACU inquiring whether Mrs. Jones is "toe touch" or "non-weight bearing." Yikes! Whether someone is non- weight bearing or toe touching has no clinical relevance. The same stress is realized on the joint. It may appear important, but it is not. My bad for not making this clear. I have amended my orders now to say: "Under no circumstance can you put any weight on that leg … for fear of incarceration!" • When can I remove the dressing? There's no real hard science regarding dressing duration and its effects on infection rate. Yet, I receive scores of phone calls from nurses and patients alike about when they can remove bandages. There's no magical formula for DID I MUMBLE? What part of my post-op orders don't you understand? OSE_1403_part3_Layout 1 3/5/14 10:36 AM Page 143

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