epidurals

JenTheRN · Mar 3, 2007

We have a new anesthetist who has them stay in bed for two hours after epidural is out. The CRNAs usually say when they have full sensation in their legs.

strn96 · Mar 3, 2007

We let our pts up as soon as they get full sensation in their legs. Of course we make sure a staff member is with them their first time up.

allnurses Guide · Mar 3, 2007

We let our pts up as soon as they get full sensation in their legs. Of course we make sure a staff member is with them their first time up.

Yep, which is usually pretty quickly after delivery.

steph

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 3, 2007

Our patients are able to ambulate as soon as they are able to hold their weight. The rule is, they must call on staff to assist to the BR for first void. This time can vary. Some epi's wear off fast, others take a couple of hours. All depends. But most are able to ambulate and use the restroom within 2-3 hours' post delivery. Nobody is told they "must" stay in bed any set amount of time. We try to get them up as fast as possible and clean up their beds and teach peri care. Also showers are encouraged when they are hemodynamically stable. Usually this is within a few hours of birth.

HappyNurse2005, RN · Mar 4, 2007

seriously, they want them in bed for 3 hours post delivery if they had an epidural?

we attempt to get them up at approx 1 hour post delivery, sometimes more based on patient, though, usually the attempt is made 1hr-90mins after. i personally stand them up on side of bed, with me having one arm under their arm, one leg between their legs, so if they fall i can sit them back down on the bed and not have them plop on the floor

(with my own 2nd baby, i had the nurse assist me to stand up for first time after delivery and went plop on the floor-thank goodness she helped lower me down...that could have hurt)

if they can't support themselves standing up, back to bed for awhile, or, if busy and we need the bed, they get put in the stretcher chair and taken upstairs.

LPNCieBan · Mar 4, 2007

I recently had an epidural and I couldn't get out of bed for two hours because I couldn't feel my legs.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Mar 5, 2007

We let 'em up as soon as they can feel and support themselves on their legs. If that's 30 minutes or 4 hours. Usually it's not more than an hour or two. And the first time we always have them call for help.

mitchsmom · Mar 6, 2007

Same as the others... whenever mom has sensation, can support her weight and someone is available to assist her.

tntblonde · Mar 6, 2007

we get the up as soon as they have sensation and the ability to move there own legs generally pretty quickly after delivery within an hour or two.

Qwiigley, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, CRNA · Jan 13, 2008

The newest thinking on laboring epidurals is that in the past they were much too dense of blocks. The patient needs to have pain relief but not tot he extent that they can't feel their legs. Epidurals should get rid of 70% of the patient's pain, not 100% The sharp pain should be gone, but never the pressure. If the patient is unable to feel her legs (not necessarily tingling, that's ok) then the patient will push much more ineffectively. When the epidurals are too dense, the c-sec rates tend to rise. FYI.

Patients should get up as soon as possible after any procedure. We know from many studies that the longer you lay in bed, the more complications that can occur.

Saying that, I have to agree with many of the above posts, they get up when they can safely do so. That may be in one hour and it may be 3. Depends on the patient and the block.

queenjean · Jan 15, 2008

Wow, I think I must work in a very, uh, slow hospital. Like maybe it is 20 years in the past.

Our pts dont' get out of bed for 3-4 hours after the epidural usually, and that is because that's about as soon as they can really feel their legs enough to bear wt and walk on them. 1 hour afterward? No way.

And we definitely give epidurals with the idea of 100% removal of pain. No doubt about that.

Interesting.....