Liver biopsy post-op and R-side lying

Rach10388 · Aug 12, 2011

You're thinking too much into it. The liver is vascular and washed with arterial and venous blood. You cut it open, it'll bleed. Think of it as a cut you'll get on your finger, you keep bleeding unless you put pressure on it. Lying on the right side puts pressure on the liver causing it to slow bleeding down. If you lie on your left side that blood can just bleed and bleed. Eventually settling in places where it should... and eventually causing shock/anemia. Make sense?

Rach10388 · Aug 12, 2011

where it shouldn't* sorry

euphoria02 · Aug 12, 2011

Hello there. I think that in any event that bleeding is a possibility, one of the most important intervention would be compression/putting pressure to the vessels damaged so the bleeding will be minimized whether it be a simple wound, a gun shot etc. The position RSL after a liver biopsy is the only one to provide effective pressure to the site of the biopsy.

I hope that helps.

joe17 · Aug 12, 2011

Again, I'm studying for NCLEX-RN.
Even tho I've googled and learned that R-side lying after liver biopsy helps because it creates the pressure needed to counteract bleeding as the liver is very vascular.
Still, I don't get it, I thought gravity will drain even more blood out? Thus, it should make more sense if the pt is positioned on L-side with appropriate pressure applied? Any comments, please? Thx :)

right side is the best position in NCLEX WORLD even in real world...as you go on ur right side u provide pressure on the liver thus it prevent any bleeding.....in REAL WORLD WE CHECK CLOTTING(PT,APTT AND INR) OF THE PATIENT IN ANY EVENT That THEY ARE ELEVATED WE DELAYED/POSPONED THE PROCEDURE....

ESL student 68 · Aug 13, 2011

Try not to read too much into a question like overthinking. Just read a question as it is and look for the clues into the question but don't over think into it. Otherwise, you will end up with another meaning of the question. Nclex is straight forward, you just have to use your critical thinking but not adding in stuff. Hope that helps.

sbturner26 · Feb 4, 2017

My grandfather had a liver biopsy last week after a confident dx of lung cancer which spread to the liver. He tolerated the procedure well, was feeling well before the procedure, had a good day before and seemed fine immediately after. Afterward he was returned to his room, starving from fasting for the procedure he guzzled down a banana shake. The nurse came in and said "what are you doing?" He said "I'm eating a banana shake, what do you mean?" She said "you're suppose to be lying flat," He replied, "I didn't know, nobody told me!" Afterward he became nauseated, violently vomiting, sweating profusely, too weak to ambulate to the bathroom, and died shortly afterward. I wasn't there although I was desperately trying to get there to him from out of state. We were all shocked at his sudden death, although we knew death would be sooner than later due to his recent diagnoses. He has recent dx of perilous CHF, lung cancer, liver cancer and 2 aortic aneurysms. I'm thankful he did not live to experience the very end stage of liver cancer. However, considering how well he was doing prior to the biopsy, laughing comfortably, as a nurse and concerned grandchild I can't help revisiting the details and wandering why his assigned nurse was not taking appropriate precautions and what the outcome was as a result. I'm so thankful for nurses who take details seriously understanding the smallest thing missed can be catastrophic. Simple patient education, instructions, positioning.....