Surgical positioning: evidence for nursing care

Isolated extratesticular hematoma from intraoperative positioning during lumbar spinal surgery

Scrotal injury is present in less than 1% of all trauma-related injuries. Traumatic injuries of the scrotum are most commonly seen in penetrating or blunt injury but may also occur after iatrogenic causes such as in the intraoperative setting. We report a case of an isolated extratesticular hematoma incurred after scrotal trauma from prone intraoperative positioning during lumbar spinal surgery. Ultrasound performed following the procedure revealed an extratesticular hematoma without evidence of coexisting testicular injury. This case highlights an atypical insult to the scrotum and reinforces the need to ensure adequate positioning to prevent this postoperative complication.

Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of delirium in an oncological hospital service: an integrative review

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the production of scientific articles about the pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of delirium in adult hospitalized cancer patients.

METHODS

integrative review whose sample was obtained from the databases Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Web of Science, and from the portals Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, and PubMed.

RESULTS

among the ten studies analyzed, 80% described exclusively the pharmacological management, especially with regard to the use of haloperidol; 20% mentioned, superficially, non-pharmacological interventions/actions (educational actions) associated to pharmacological management, and adjusting them could result in the diminution and control of psychomotor agitation, contributing for the safety and comfort of the patient.

CONCLUSIONS

there are few studies addressing pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions/actions to manage delirium. As a result, it is essential to develop studies focused on increasing and advancing scientific knowledge with regard to the theme, especially in the national context.

Prevention of pressure injury in the operating room: Heels operating room pressure injury trial

The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of multi‐layered silicone foam (intervention) compared with transparent polyurethane film (control) in preventing heel pressure injuries caused by surgical positioning of individuals undergoing elective surgery. It was designed an intra‐patient, open, parallel, randomised controlled trial was conducted in a university hospital in southern Brazil, from March 2019 to February 2020, with patients undergoing elective surgeries of cardiac and gastrointestinal specialties. The patients who met the selection criteria constituted, simultaneously, a single group receiving the intervention and active control, through paired analysis of the cutaneous sites (right heel and left heel). The outcome was the occurrence of PI, within the follow‐up period was 72 hours. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials: RBR‐5GKNG5. There was analysis of 135 patients/270 heels, with an overall incidence of 36.7%. The pressure injury incidence was significantly lower in the intervention group (26.7%), compared with the control group (P = .001); relative risk of 0.57. In the intervention group, the estimated pressure injury‐free time (survival) was 57.5 hours and in the control group, 43.9 hours. It was concluded that Multi‐layered silicone foam (intervention) is more efficacious than transparent polyurethane film (control) in the prevention of pressure injuries caused by surgical positioning of individuals undergoing elective surgery.

Costs of nursing procedures/interventions: an integrative literature review

OBJECTIVES

to analyze the scientific production of nurses regarding the costs of procedures/interventions performed by nursing professionals.

METHODS

integrative literature review with a sample of 17 primary articles selected from the CINAHL, Scopus, EMBASE databases and the PubMed portal.

RESULTS

all studies were conducted in hospitals, with quantitative, exploratory-descriptive studies, considering the case study method, with the description of costs method adopted, and the number of Brazilian publications stood out (12; 70.58%). The calculation of direct costs was most common due to the absence/difficulty of accessing information in the studied hospitals. This made it impossible to obtain the indirect costs that would be necessary for the composition of the total cost.

CONCLUSIONS

it was shown that studies about the cost of procedures/interventions are still scarce, often covering only the calculation of direct costs. Nurses need to develop studies on such costs using the same methodology in different contexts of health care.

Risk for surgical positioning injuries: scale validation in a rehabilitation hospital

OBJECTIVE

to validate the Risk Assessment Scale for the Development of Injuries due to Surgical Positioning in the stratification of risk for injury development in perioperative patients at a rehabilitation hospital.

METHOD

analytical, longitudinal and quantitative study. An instrument and the scale were used in the three perioperative phases in 106 patients. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

most patients showed high risk for perioperative injuries, both in the scale score with estimated time and in the real-time score, with a mean of 19.97 (±3.02) and 19.96 (±3.12), respectively. Most participants did not show skin lesions (87.8%) or pain (92.5%). Inferential analysis enabled us to assert that the scale scores are associated with the appearance of injuries resulting from positioning, therefore, it can adequately predict that low-risk patients are unlikely to have injuries and those at high risk are more likely to develop injuries.

CONCLUSION

the scale validation is shown by the association of scores with the appearance of injuries, therefore, it is a valid and useful tool, and it can guide the clinical practice of perioperative nurses in rehabilitation hospitals in order to reduce risk for injuries due to surgical positioning.

Risk assessment for perioperative pressure injuries

Objectives:

to evaluate and classify patients according to the Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Pressure Injuries; verify the association between sociodemographic and clinical variables and the risk score; and identify the occurrence of pressure injuries due to surgical positioning.

Method:

observational, longitudinal, prospective and quantitative study carried out in a teaching hospital with 278 patients submitted to elective surgeries. A sociodemographic and clinical characterization questionnaire and the Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Pressure Injuries were used. Descriptive, bivariate and logistic regression analyses were applied.

Results:

the majority of patients (56.5%) presented a high risk for perioperative pressure injury. Female sex, elderly group, and altered body mass index values were statistically significant (p < 0.05) for a higher risk of pressure injuries. In 77% of the patients, there were perioperative pressure injuries.

Conclusion:

most of the participants presented a high risk for development of perioperative decubitus ulcers. The female sex, elderly group, and altered body mass index were significant factors for increased risk. The Risk Assessment Scale for Perioperative Pressure Injuries allows the early identification of risk of injury, subsidizing the adoption of preventive strategies to ensure the quality of perioperative care.

Nursing Outcomes for Patients with Risk of Perioperative Positioning Injury

PURPOSE

To select and refine the outcomes and indicators of Nursing Outcomes Classification for the diagnosis of risk for perioperative positioning injury.

METHOD

Validation study on expert consensus and refinement through pilot study.

FINDINGS

Eight outcomes and 35 indicators were selected in consensus. After clinical testing was performed, in which 10 patients were assessed at five different times. Eight outcomes and 33 indicators remained in the protocol.

CONCLUSION

This study made it possible to select the most relevant outcomes and indicators to be measured for this diagnosis in clinical practice.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Validation studies by consensus and clinical testing are important to promote the accuracy, creating opportunities to legitimize, and improve the concepts of taxonomies.

Managing febrile neutropenia in adult cancer patients: an integrative review of the literature

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the interventions performed by health professionals with a view to managing chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia. Method: Integrative literature review, the sample of 12 primary articles was selected from the following databases: LILACS, SciELO, BVS, PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science. Results: There was a prevalence of studies, realized by doctors, focused on pharmacological treatment and on the association of methods for greater diagnostic accuracy of febrile neutropenia. A study was found on pharmaceutical management regarding antibiotic dosing efficacy and a study indicating that nurses could contribute to the identification of elderly patients who would benefit from prophylactic use of growth factor. Conclusion: There was a shortage of studies involving the participation of other health professionals, besides the doctors, and a knowledge gap regarding interprofessional practice in the management of interventions specific to their area of specialism, joint interventions and non-pharmacological interventions.

Support surfaces in the prevention of pressure ulcers in surgical patients: An integrative review

AIM

To assess the scientific evidence about the types of support surfaces used in intraoperative surgical practice in the prevention of pressure ulcers due to surgical positioning.

METHOD

This is an integrative literature review. The electronic databases Cochrane, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Lilacs, and CINAHL were used. The descriptors surgical patients, support surfaces, perioperative care, patient positioning, and pressure ulcer were used in the search strategy. Articles that addressed the use of support surfaces intraoperatively, published between 1990 and 2016, were selected. The PRISMA guidelines were used to structure the review.

RESULTS

Of 18 evaluated studies, most were in English, followed by Portuguese and Spanish; most were performed by nurses. The most commonly cited support surfaces were viscoelastic polymer, micropulse mattresses, gel based mattresses, and foam devices.

CONCLUSION

There are gaps in knowledge regarding the most efficient support surfaces and the specifications of the products used to prevent pressure ulcers due to surgical positioning.

Preventing perioperative peripheral nerve injuries

Peripheral nerve injuries are largely preventable injuries that can result from incorrect patient positioning during surgery. Patients who are diabetic, are extremely thin or obese, use tobacco, or undergo surgery lasting more than four hours are at increased risk for developing these injuries. When peripheral nerve injuries occur, patients may experience numbness, burning, or tingling and may have difficulty getting out of bed, walking, gripping objects, or raising their arms. These symptoms can interrupt activities of daily living and impede recovery. Signs and symptoms of peripheral nerve injury may appear within 24 to 48 hours of surgery or may take as long as a week to appear. Careful attention to body alignment and proper padding of bony prominences when positioning patients for surgery is necessary to prevent peripheral nerve injury. The use of a preoperative assessment tool to identify at-risk patients, collaboration between physical therapy and OR staff members regarding patient positioning, and neurophysiological monitoring can help prevent peripheral nerve injuries.

Prevention of skin reactions due to teletherapy in women with breast cancer: a comprehensive review

One of the possible courses of cancer treatment is teletherapy, and one of the most important adverse side effects are skin reactions, an ailment more commonly called radiodermatitis. The main purpose of this study is to analyze knowledge of the evidence about topical products used in the prevention of radiodermatitis, to support care delivery to women with breast cancer during teletherapy. The research method used here is the comprehensive literature review. Four databases were used to select the bibliography. The sample consists of 15 articles. The data shows that, among the topical products analyzed here, Calendula, corticosteroids and Xclair have shown significant protective effects, underlining their actions. The lack of articles published in Brazil highlights the need for further research in this area, seeking better care quality through the use of products with scientifically proven efficiency.

Safe positioning for robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy is a surgical procedure performed to eradicate prostate cancer. Use of robotic assistance technology allows smaller incisions than the traditional laparoscopic approach and results in better patient outcomes, such as less blood loss, less pain, shorter hospital stays, and better postoperative potency and continence rates. This surgical approach creates unique challenges in patient positioning for the perioperative team because the patient is placed in the lithotomy with steep Trendelenburg position. Incorrect positioning can lead to nerve damage, pressure ulcers, and other complications. Using a special beanbag positioning device made specifically for use with this severe position helps prevent these complications.

[Evidence-based practices published in Brazil: identification and analysis of their types and methodological approches]

This is an integrative review of Brazilian studies on evidence-based practices (EBP) in health, published in ISI/JCR journals in the last 10 years. The aim was to identify the specialty areas that most accomplished these studies, their foci and methodological approaches. Based on inclusion criteria, 144 studies were selected. The results indicate that most EBP studies addressed childhood and adolescence, infectious diseases, psychiatrics/mental health and surgery. The predominant foci were prevention, treatment/rehabilitation, diagnosis and assessment. The most used methods were systematic review with or without meta-analysis, protocol review or synthesis of available evidence studies, and integrative review. A strong multiprofessional expansion of EBP is found in Brazil, contributing to the search for more selective practices by collecting, recognizing and critically analyzing the produced knowledge. The study also contributes to the analysis itself of ways to do research and new research possibilities.