crutches, walkers, ROM

Your patient attempts to sit down in the bedside chair after ambulating in the hallway with crutches. What finding requires you to re-educate the patient on how to sit down in the chair correctly while using crutches?

• The patient places both on the non-injured side before sitting down in the chair

• The patient backs up to the chair's seat until he feels it with his non-injured leg and stops

• The patient keeps the injured leg extended out in front of him while sitting down

• The patient holds both crutches on one side and reaches for the hand grips on the crutches and places weight on them while sitting down

the patient should place both crutches on the _________ before sitting down in a chair.

• injured side

• non-injured side

• both sides

A 46yo male was injured in an industrial accident and has suffered a fractured left leg and left wrist. His wrist is treated with a cast and the leg is placed in skeletal traction. Because of immobilization of his leg, the patient is at risk for (select all that apply)

• pressure injury

• venous thrombosis

• generalized edema

• foot drop

• constipation

You encourage the patient recovering from a fractured leg to deep breathe, cough, and use his incentive spirometer to prevent:

• pulmonary embolus

• bronchoconstriction

• hypostatic pneumonia

• delayed healing

The purpose of the spreader bar is to:

• help maintain the desired angle of the hip

• use the handle for lifting and turning the patient

• increase the circulation to affected areas

• assist the patient in turning

To make the patient's bed while he is in skeletal traction, you would first (select all that apply)

• Roll him from one side to the other

• Make the bed from top to bottom

• Only change the top sheet

• Ask a helper to assist with the linen change

• avoid linen changes until the traction has been discontinued

When assessing the patient with a leg cast, an indication that swelling is occurring and the cast is becoming too tight would be

• the cast is hot to touch

• the area distal is a dusky color and cold

• capillary refill distally is 10-15 seconds

• the patient complains of discomfort

You are to perform ROM exercises TID with your patient who is immobilized. ROM exercises promotes circulation by:

• Thinning the blood so that it will move freely

• Releasing the one-way valves in the veins and arteries

• Contracting the muscles surrounding the vein, forcing blood to move toward the heart

• Raising the temperature of the tissues, thereby decreasing blood viscosity so it flows more freely

Passive ROM exercises are performed to prevent the problem of:

• formation of a thrombus in the leg

• sluggish circulation in the extremities

• skin breakdown over pressure joints

• decreased joint mobility

In addition to skin care and frequent turning, measures that may help prevent development of pressure injuries in an immobilized patient care: (select all that apply)

• Have family encourage the patient to perform active ROM exercises on unaffected extremities

• Restrict calories to reduce weight gain while immobile

• Encourage adequate nutritional and fluid intake

• Keep the patient's skin clean and dry

• Place the patient on air fluidized mattress