Preventing patient positioning injuries in the nonoperating room setting

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Patient Safety
• Surgical Complications

Background:

• Postprocedural positioning injuries are a significant cause of patient morbidity, often overlooked due to delayed presentation or lack of follow-up.
• The non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) population faces increased risks due to comorbidities and limited primary care team involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss risk factors associated with position-related injuries in patients undergoing anesthesia outside the operating room.
• To outline preventive strategies, including proper patient positioning and padding techniques, to mitigate these risks.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on postprocedural positioning injuries and their prevention.
• Discussion of challenges specific to patient positioning in NORA settings.
• Exploration of potential benefits of monitoring somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) in high-risk patients.

Main Results:

• Careful patient positioning and adequate padding are the primary methods for preventing periprocedural injuries.
• NORA procedures present unique challenges for positioning due to physical constraints and material preferences.
• Somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) monitoring may offer benefits for high-risk individuals.

Conclusions:

• Anesthesia providers must carefully consider patient positioning during NORA procedures.
• A thorough understanding of peripheral nerve and pressure injuries is crucial for prevention.
• Implementing best practices in positioning and padding is essential for patient safety.