Prone Position

[corkyrn]

I WORKED AS A POOL NURSE IN A NEARBY HOSPITAL IN CCU. I NEVER SAW SO MANY PEOPLE PLACED IN PRONE POSITION AFTER DX OF ARDS. I UNDERSTAND THIS HAS BEEN A RATHER DIFFICULT STUDY. DOES ANYONE HAVE AN OPINION ON THE OUTCOME OF THIS TREATMENT VS PLACING PT IN A ROTOREST BED. ONE HOSPITAL I WAS IN USED THE ROTOREST.

[Estella]

I have only been an nurse for three years, all in a Coronay Care Unit. Please don't let the name fool you, we get every kind of patient.

My first experience with proning involved a very large gastric bypass pt who developed ARDs. We used donut pillows under his face, with a groove cut for the vent tubing, and it took all the staff and some security personnel to turn him over completely, but we proned him for two hours, then supined for two hours--with side shifts each time he went supine. Within two days, we saw changes on his CXR. In less than three weeks, he was extubated.

The second patient I worked with was a 16-y.o. who developed ARDs after a hemorrhage. That was two years ago, and everyone on staff who worked with her swears she would not be starting college today if we hadn't proned her.

I'm convinced it works. The patients we've had on rotation beds just have not fared as well or as quickly.

[nimbex, RN]

look up kathleen vollman, an RN who designed and invented as well as researched the prone positioner. her web sites will even give her e-mail for questions.

We use it, not often or soon enough sometimes, but it does make a difference. Takes quite a few people to organize the turn safely.