Ineffective Peripheral Tissue Perfusion Question

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I have a nsg dx of Ineffective Peripheral Tissue Perfusion R/T decreased hemoglobin concentration in blood and one of my interventions is to Turn and reposition patient with extremities at or lower than the level of the heart q2 hours/prn. I'm not sure why you position the extremities at or lower than the heart. Please explain! :)

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Specializes in Medical Surgical/Addiction/Mental Health.

Keeping the extremities lower promote tissue profusion. Having the extremities lower will allow for the arterial blood to flow to the lower extremities easier due to gravity. Think of it like driving your car downhill. You can let off of your accelerator and coast your car at the speed limit without pushing on the accelerator.

It is for this exact reason we elevate injured extremities. Gravity promotes venous blood return and decreases the arterial flow (which aides in decreasing the inflammation process).

Does this kind of make sense??

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Yes! I get it now! I was heading in that direction but I wasnt sure. Thank you!

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Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

And just to clarify, the correct format for the nursing diagnosis is: Ineffective tissue perfusion, peripheral, r/t...

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Specializes in Critical Care.

One thing to keep in mind is that you need to consider the specific pathology (medical dx) when considering your interventions. Positioning is useful in the treatment of Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) but will provide no clinical benefit in anemia. Both PAD and anemia fall under "Impaired Tissue Perfusion" even though both have very different Nursing implications which makes the system of 'translating' medical diagnoses into Nursing diagnoses and then deciding interventions based solely on the Nursing diagnosis problematic. This is one reason why some Nursing Schools are finally phasing out Nursing Dx.

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