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Discussion

When to dangle feet??

Hi, it's my first post and question.

I am a student working at rehab unit.

One of the nurses threw the question but nobody there could answer.

"What kind of patients need to dangle their feet or at least keep horizontal position?"

As far as I can recall, patients with high intracranial pressure (to prevent ICP from rising) and heart failure patients (to minimize venous return) cannot elevate their feet above heart level.

Is there any other occasion that we need to be careful with this issue? (I'm sure there are a lot :specs:)

Thank you.

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From the acute angle about horizontal position: patients that have orthostatic hypotension (unless I'm in there to help them up), patients that just had heart catheterization, and patients that just had a lumbar puncture :) hth, it's too early but those are what I see the most.

As far as "dangling the feet" if a patient is able then they really should as often as possible...helps reduce the risk of clotting.

Post-op patients need to dangle prior to standing up for the first time. Many of the drugs that are given in the OR can cause vasodilation. This is especially true after spinal anesthesia. Narcotics can also make many patients dizzy and I encourage them to dangle at the bedside prior to getting up.

This reminded me of a funny story....

Had a pt come in ER one night in CHF. We all are in the room doing our stuff when the wife comes running in the room yelling...."let him sit on the side of the bed and dangle his feet......so the fluid will go to his feet not his heart!!" :chuckle:banghead:

Anyone who says they're dizzy.

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