recovery ward

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hey.

This isn't actually a nursing thing, just a health class but i reckon nurses should know this kind of thing and i couldn't find what i need elsewhere so .. :p

1st part is research. have to find out about different procedures (i got total knee replacement surgery). Don't need any help here, this part was easy.

2nd part is supposed to be a communication exercise. Have to leave directions/description of the layout of the recovery room so that another person can recreate it exactly from the directions. The problem is i don't really know what would be IN the recovery ward apart from the obvious (beds, privacy curtains etc). I'd considered asking someone at the local hospital what's in theirs but i thought i'd try this 1st.

So my question is ...

what furniture/equipment would usually be in the recovery ward for knee replacement (so their staying for up to a week afterwards and doing exercise/rehab stuff i believe)

i know there'd probably be a continuous passive motion machine for their leg

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

pacu (post anesthesia recovery unit) is an intensive care area so there is a lot of intensive care and resuscitative equipment there along with equipment needed to care for surgical patients in the immediate post surgical period.

patients stay in the pacu for an hour or so and then they are sent off to their hospital room. while under general anesthesia patients are literally paralyzed and under the direct care of the anesthesiologist to keep them breathing and alive. when their surgery is completed and they leave the surgical suite and go to the pacu they are being observed to see that they are awakening from the effects of the anesthetics. in the immediate postoperative hours nurses are more concerned with monitoring patients for things such as:

  • #1 concern: breathing problems
  • #2 concern: hypotension (low blood pressure which could indicate hemorrhage)
  • nausea/vomiting
  • any number of problems with the incision/wound (dehiscence, evisceration)
  • surgical pain
  • elevated or depressed temperatures

patients are usually allowed to sleep off their anesthesia drugs for the remainder of the day that they had their surgery because they will be drowsy. staff nurses will be taking their vital signs (b/p, temperature, pulse and respirations) every 15 minutes x 1 hour, then every 4 hours. they will have iv fluids infusing. if they are awake and having no nausea they may have a simple meal at dinnertime. the patients will be monitored for many of the same things the pacu staff monitored them for plus a few more:

  • breathing problems (atelectasis, hypoxia, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism)
  • hypotension (shock, hemorrhage)
  • thrombophlebitis in the lower extremity
  • elevated or depressed temperature
  • any number of problems with the incision/wound (dehiscence, evisceration, infection)
  • fluid and electrolyte imbalances
  • urinary retention
  • constipation
  • surgical pain
  • nausea/vomiting (paralytic ileus)

on the day following their surgical day, their rehabilitation will begin. and that is when the rehabilitative equipment that you are referring to (cpm [continuous passive motion] device, walkers, physical therapy) are ordered by the surgeon.

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