Fluid drainage.

[Nursing Au]

I searched on the website about total knee replacement:

https://www.mns.org.au/ArticleDocuments/2728/TotalKnee_rep_18October2016.pdf.aspx

There is one sentence - “Once your narcotic infusion is removed, the end of your bed needs to be elevated to assist fluid drainage, which helps reduce leg swelling and pain”.

What is the relationship between narcotic infusion and leg elevation? Does narcotic infusion influence leg elevation for the assistance of fluid drainage?

Before narcotic infusion is removed, should the end of the bed be elevated to assist fluid drainage or not?

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

I have just read the information and it does not state that. In one column on pg 23 it states that the narcotic infusion will be taken down. In the other column it states that the end of the bed will be elevated.

Neither is related. It is more likely that there will be swelling D2PO due to increased mobilisation and that will increase swelling in the leg, reducing the swelling will reduce pain.

[Nursing Au]

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Sorry, it is the document about total hip replacement:

https://www.mns.org.au/ArticleDocuments/2728/Total_Hip_Rep_20Oct2016.pdf.aspx

At page 21, There is one sentence - “Once your narcotic infusion is removed, the end of your bed needs to be elevated to assist fluid drainage, which helps reduce leg swelling and pain”.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

It's an error.

What I will also say is these documents are terrible. Not in "Plain English ", full of advanced terminology and only really suitable for someone who has completed a gigh school education in English.