Evidence informing policies regarding positioning lithotomy patient to Essay

Evidence informing policies regarding positioning lithotomy patient to prevent compartment syndrome - Essay Example It happens most generally in an osseofascial compartment of the forearm or leg, but it may happen in the upper foot, arm, abdomen, thigh, buttock, and hand. Positioning the particular patient for a surgical practice is the shared duty of the entire group of medicos. â€Å"There are many concerns to address when placing a patient in the lithotomy position. The patient can be injured while being placed in and out of the position, as well as while in the position. When placing the patient in the lithotomy position, both legs should be moved in unison to avoid overstretching the nerves of the lumbosacral plexus† (Rank 2012). Patient positioning in operation theatre relates to how a particular patient is transferred and positioned for a specific procedure. The incident I came across in this case in related with a patient in recovery, subsequent to prostactectomy, handed over by the anaesthetist. That particular patient was in the position of lithotomy - rendelenburg for 8 hours, wi th bilateral extremities supported on the parts with stirrups. While the patient woke up from anesthesia, he appeared to be restless with complaining ache on his right leg. Though in a higher amount of analgesia, the patient complained of severe pain with passive movements. He also complained of decreased feeling on the toes and feet in the right leg. His feet were temperate and warm, and he had a palpable pulse. I noticed his calf was tender, and tense on the right side of the leg. The study is carried out to understand the Evidence informing policies regarding positioning (lithotomy) patient to prevent Compartment Syndrome. â€Å"In the lithotomy position, calf compression is almost inevitable and this predisposes to venous thromboembolism and compartment syndrome. The aetiology of compartment syndrome is probably a decrease in perfusion pressure caused by a combination of the weight of extremities against the supportive devices, reduction in compartment capacity and elevation of the lower limb above the heart† (Knight & Mahajan 2012). Aim of the Study: 1) To identify the various policies regarding positioning (lithotomy) patient to prevent Compartment Syndrome. 2) To identify the various symptoms of Compartment Syndrome. 3) To identify the various types of risk factors for growth of acute Compartment Syndrome, resultant from this kind of leg positioning. Safety of the patient is the central focus of patient care in the framework of NHS (Carruthers & Philip 2006), and all healthcare practitioners should guarantee that patients are defended from harm as far as possible. Appropriate positioning decreases the risk of pressure-connected damage to joints, nerves, skin, and muscle. The sedated or anaesthetised patient, are not capable to converse if they have been positioned in a compromising or hazardous position. Therefore a proactive approach must be taken to stop the delerious consequences of the patient mal-positioning. Right positioning of a patient p ermits the most selected exposure of the operative field (Millsaps 2006). Positioning should also consider the scale of movement that may be essential for the duration of the procedure, for example, for shoulder and knee arthroscopy, it needs considerable movement of the upper and lower limbs respectively for the duration of the process, and that the surgical field should be setup accordingly. Discussion: Compartment Syndrome is one of the problems that may occur because of the poor