ntermittent pneumatic compression device applied

#Ntermittent pneumatic compression device applied drivers

'Starting anesthesia means starting the clotting cascade,' she says. 'It's a common mistake, assuming a patient is low-risk and nothing is needed.'īut the unexpected is not unknown to surgery. 'We'll zone in on the high-risk patients, but we must exercise caution with all the others, too,' says Ms. 'The answer is, there's still the risk that the young, healthy patient will suffer an unfortunate result, and we'll have to bear the knowledge that we had the resources to do something about it, that we could have averted it.' 'You might ask, 'If they're low-risk, why are we taking these steps with this patient? If they don't need it, why are we using this? The cost of healthcare is outrageous enough already,'' says Ms. However, the ability to classify patients as low-risk populations for DVT should not foster a false sense of confidence, experts note.

#Ntermittent pneumatic compression device applied drivers

The type and anticipated length of surgery, along with a patient's individual risk profile, are often the primary drivers of the preventative efforts that are implemented. Several different models exist for classifying patients' risk for DVT and PE, including checklists, grids and automated warnings programmed into electronic medical records systems.Īnti-DVT prophylaxis is patient- and risk-factor specific. 'Unless they come through the ER, all surgical patients would've spoken before the day of surgery with a physician, who would have determined their risk factors well in advance' and ordered the implementation of special preventative measures in pre-op if they're deemed necessary. These assessments will typically arrive by way of physicians' pre-op consultations, says Sharon Butler, MSN, BSN, RN, a clinical nurse IV at Stanford University Hospital and Clinics in Palo Alto, Calif. 'All patients who are scheduled for outpatient surgery should have a DVT risk factor assessment at the time of booking, and it should be documented,' says Lynn Razzano, RN, MSN, ONCC, a clinical nurse consultant with the Physician-Patient Alliance for Health and Safety in Westborough, Mass. While this vascular complication presents unpredictably, it is possible to identify the patients who are at greater risk of suffering it. If an embolus should break from that clot and block the pulmonary artery in the lungs, the result can be fatal. Impaired circulation and pooled blood can result in the formation of a blood clot, or thrombus, in a large vein, such as those in the legs. But that's no reason to skip measures that can prevent the potentially fatal complications, say experts, who maintain that these extra steps may provide a silent benefit against a silent hazard. Short cases and speedy ambulation put same-day surgery patients at a relatively low risk for deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism during the perioperative process. WRAP IT UP The pneumatic contractions of sequential compression devices simulate muscle movement to prevent circulatory stasis.