Question about a PE...from a tech/Nursing student POV.....

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

ok, so if you read my other post, my favorite patient of the night was sat in the 70s at 3AM, doc wanted a chest CT with contrast....ok. took her down , she's fine, sat jumped back into the 90s on 4L......before I left work, found out radiology says she has a PE.....

Question...If someone has a PE, would you be getting them up to weigh them, walk em, put em on bsc...etc? Wouldn't that throw the embolism? pt is 87, woman, busted R hip, 3 days post op sx.......just opinion or whatever, please? Day nurse wanted a weight stat, so helped other tech put her on scale.....etc....was wondering if it could have waited....

[TiredMD]

question...if someone has a pe, would you be getting them up to weigh them, walk em, put em on bsc...etc? wouldn't that throw the embolism? pt is 87, woman, busted r hip, 3 days post op sx.......just opinion or whatever, please? day nurse wanted a weight stat, so helped other tech put her on scale.....etc....was wondering if it could have waited....

you'd think so (and everyone used to) but the new literature is saying that, once appropriate treatment has been started, there is no additional risk for a new pe with early ambulation.

bed rest or ambulation in the initial treatment of patients with acute deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism: findings from the riete registry. chest. 2005 may;127(5):1631-6.

ambulation and compression after deep vein thrombosis: dispelling myths. semin vasc surg. 2005 sep;18(3):148-52.

also, in the case of a hip fracture, the patient will have better functional outcome and long-term prognosis if they are walking asap.