Can scud and foot pumps be put back on a patient if they have been off for several hours?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi :)

I had an elderly, confused patient overnight who somehow managed to kick their foot pump off. I found it on the bed in the morning.. I put the pump back on the patient. I'm not sure exactly how long it was off. The patient is on enoxopatin 20mg day 2 post hip surgery and not yet mobilising.

Is is it likely that this could cause a DVT?? All advice would be appreciated as I'm freaking out now that I'm home..

I told the in charge nurse and she said that it should be ok

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

This is nothing to freak out over!! Calm down. You found them off and put them back on. That's really all you can do. His risk is roughly the same due to him being immobile right now.

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I'm just worried because the patient is high risk and they may have been off for 4 hours or so.. I've heard that blood stasis can occur when the pumps are not working and then if turned on again, it could cause a PE?

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Look at it this way -- the pt was moving their legs enough to kick the SCD off!

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Specializes in Ortho.

No big deal.

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

I would listen to your charge nurse. Enoxaparin is very effective, as as a pp said, the patient had to have been moving if he kicked off his pump. it takes a relatively large clot from a proximal artery to cause a significant PE.

Learn what you can from this event (hourly visual checks on patients attached to equipment) and move on.

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