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CategoriesPatient Handling

Epidural Pain Relief and Patient Safety

by sphmedicaladmin

Epidural Pain Relief: Positioning for maximum safety

An epidural, is often used throughout the U.S. to relieve pain during contractions and delivery without restricting the mothers’ ability to have control and strength to push the baby out. For an epidural, medicine is administered through a tube inserted by the anesthesiologist in the lower back. A mixture of anesthetics and analgesics can be included in the epidural for women who are delivering vaginally. The medicine will cause a loss of sensation in the lower extremities and the mother is still awake and alert. The epidural provides the needed pain relief for the mother to bear down to push the infant through the birth canal successfully. For women who are having a cesarean delivery, the anesthetic dose in the epidural can be increased. This type of epidural causes a loss of feeling in the lower half of the woman’s body. Epidural pain relief may also be necessary for some patients after delivery.

Why Is Proper Positioning Important For an Epidural?

The patient’s position is very important for the epidural to be administered properly, reduce the risk of side effects, and adequately reduce pain during labor. Nursing safety is also an important concern during patient positioning and epidural placement. There are two typical positions for the patient to be positioned in for optimal placement. First, there is the side lying position. In this position the patient should lay on their side in bed to allow the Doctor to access the spine. The second position is a sitting position at the edge of the bed leaning over a pillow with knees raised to create sacral curvature. The legs are typically raised by having the patient put her feet on a stool.  Medical staff will assist the patient to ensure she is in the correct position before and during the epidural block.

For maximum safety and secure positioning, the nurses can bring in an epidural chair. The epidural chair, also known as an EPD, or epidural positioning device makes it more comfortable for the patient and safer for everyone. The EPD ensures that the patients’ back is curved and they are fully supported without having to lean on a nurse! The EPD has a head rest, arm supports, a central pad that extend toward the patients chest to promote spinal flexion, and a foot plate for support. All these components are adjustable to fit the needs of each patient. Proper positioning of the body reduces the risk of error or complications when the epidural is placed.

Avoiding manual patient handling is important for nurses to remain safe during the Epidural procedure.  The EPD Solves this problem.  In the image below the nurse is supporting the patient and putting her neck back and shoulders at risk.

Stools that don’t lock can create unnecessary risks for patients and nurses.

The epidural is performed under local anesthesia using a sterile technique. When the nerves of the skin are numb from the local anesthetic, the epidural needle is inserted between the spine area of the lumbar vertebra to get to the “epidural space,” which is just outside of the spine. This space contains the spinal nerves and cerebrospinal fluid. When anesthetics are administered to this area, the pain of childbirth is reduced. Most of the time, epidural pain relief is continuous, which means the medical staff will place a soft, small catheter or tube into the epidural space with a needle. A sterile dressing is used to secure the tube to the patient’s back. This constant flow of medication is continuously administered to the patient during labor and delivery to reduce pain and discomfort.

What Are the Risks to the Patient?

Epidurals are generally safe, especially if the patient was sitting in an epidural chair to receive the medication. However, in some cases, patients can experience:

  • Nerve pain
  • Significant drop in blood pressure, which can cause nausea and lightheadedness
  • Itchy skin
  • temporary loss of bladder control
  • General sick feeling
  • Headaches

Once the epidural anesthesia begins to wear off, it is common for patients to feel numbness in their legs until the medicine has completely worn off, which can take a few hours. It is best for the patient to sit or lie down until feeling in the legs is restored. Patients will often feel tingling in their legs after the epidural is removed, but this symptom is temporary. Patients are advised not to operate machinery, consume alcohol, or drive for 24 hours after the epidural is removed.

How Does an EPD Reduce the Risk or Injury to Nurses Administering the Epidural?

An epidural positioning device not only makes medication administration more comfortable for the patient but also keeps nurses from sustaining work-related injuries, MSD’s. When a nurse has to statically hold the patient in position, support the patient or catch a falling patient, this could cause injury to the nurse. Using the EPD means that the patient is properly supported and in the ideal position every time. The EPD becomes a standard of care. Using the EPD that will position the patient comfortably so the nurse can provide effective care as efficiently as possible with the best possible outcome.

Epidurals are a safe choice for many women who want to manage the pain of labor and delivery. The procedure is recommended by Anesthesiologists for optimal pain relief.

Improve Patient and Nurse Safety with EPD
CategoriesPatient Handling

About 70 Percent of Women in Labor Choose Epidural Pain Relief

by sphmedicaladmin

Epidural Pain Relief During Labor

About 70 percent of women in labor choose epidural pain relief “Analgesia” to ease pain during labor. This procedure effectively blocks much of the pain associated with labor contractions and the birth process. Epidurals typically don’t block sensation completely, allowing the mother to push during the second stage of labor. The laboring woman remains alert and able to participate in the birth of her child but without the typical high levels of pain during labor.

What is an Epidural?

Epidural pain relief involves the injection of an anesthetic into the lower back, known as the lumbar area. The anesthesiologist will numb the area and then use a special spinal needle to access the epidural space. This is the area surrounding the spinal cord that contains arteries, veins, fat, nerve roots and fluids. The needle is placed below the termination of the spinal cord itself, all but eliminating any possibility of puncturing the cord, potentially causing paralysis. Once the doctor has reached the epidural space with the needle, a thin plastic tube called a catheter will be inserted into the space and left there. The doctor removes the needle. Medications can then be given through the catheter until the conclusion of the delivery process. Epidural pain relief is the gold standard for relieving pain during labor. When combined with leading edge solutions like CBD, CFAH reports that epidural pain relief and the CBD together work to relieve more pain than either substance working alone.

It takes anywhere from ten to 20 minutes for the epidural to take effect. There is a lapse of this time because the anesthetic must penetrate the dura, the covering of the spinal cord, before any relief is obtained. Epidurals work by blocking pain sensations from the spinal cord to the brain.

Common side effects include:

  • Itching
  • Difficulty with urination
  • Nausea and back pain
  • No feeling in the lower trunk and legs

Spinal and Saddle Block

An epidural is not the same as a spinal or a saddle block. These procedures involve a single injection of anesthetic into the fluid around the spinal cord. There is no continuous delivery of medication with a catheter. Therefore, spinals and saddle blocks only last about one to two hours.

Positioning for Epidural Pain Relief

In order for the anesthesiologist to access the epidural space, the laboring woman must lean forward over a pillow or assume the fetal position while lying down. The vertebra must be separated as much as possible. The patient must remain absolutely still, because the doctor is working in a very delicate area where serious injury is possible. The nurse must hold the woman in place and help to steady her.

This is where nurse injuries can occur. The woman may pitch forward or jerk suddenly, causing potential injury to both herself and the nursing staff. Leaning forward over a pillow is not exactly a stable position. Accidents can easily happen. An epidural chair helps prevent injuries to both the patient and the nurse and makes the whole procedure safer and easier for everyone. With the patient in the epidural chair, the doctor can work quickly and safely to place the epidural needle so relief can begin.

EPD

The epidural positioning device, EPD, rolls up to the bed and locks in place.The patient leans over the padded, horseshoe-shaped headrest and places her arms on the padded armrest and her feet on the footrest area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This position allows full flexion of the vertebra and maintains the patient in a stable position. The EPD has the following benefits:

  • No need for a static hold
  • No need to steady a stool or table that can slip
  • It speeds procedure time
  • No greater risk from larger patients

The device also addresses the problem of the medicated patient who may become dizzy without warning. A frightened or combative patient may not comply with orders to remain still while leaning over a stack of pillows.

Because the physician can work on an absolutely motionless patient, the epidural may be placed with optimum accuracy for the most anesthetic effect. The device may possibly reduce the chances of adverse side effects like excessive bleeding.

Conclusion

The epidural chair assures safety and maximum possible comfort for the nursing staff, anesthesiologist and patient during this common pain relief procedure for laboring women.

Contact SPH Medical to learn more about the EDP, also known as the Epidural Chair to improve patient and staff safety at your facility.

Epidural Chair prevents injuries
CategoriesPatient Handling

Patients Can Feel Safer With The Epidural Positioning Device

by sphmedicaladmin

The Epidural Positioning Device, Positioning Patients Safety

What commonly comes to mind when you hear the word epidural is that someone is giving childbirth, and they need an epidural to help with the pain. For a mother in labor, an epidural provides anesthesia that creates a range of numbness from the patients navel to her upper legs.  This enables the patient to be awake and alert during childbirth, while allowing the patient to feel pressure.  However, labor and delivery rooms are not the only recommended place for epidural procedures. Patients also receive epidural treatment in general surgery and as an outpatient treatment in pain management clinics. Doctors use epidural injections to relieve pain during and after surgery and to manage chronic pain. Although epidurals help with the pain, many patients may refuse them. The primary concern or risk with an epidural is the concern about what could happen if the anesthesiologist does not insert the needle correctly. With the development of the epidural positioning device by an anesthesiologist, patients can feel safer and comfortable when receiving an epidural. The Epidural Chair, as its commonly known, helps keep their body in the proper position and stable during the procedure.

Conditions Normally Treated with Epidurals

Doctors commonly use epidural steroid injections to relieve pain associated with the following:

  • Degenerative disc disease is changes that take place over time as the discs in your spine began to break down. It can affect the surrounding nerves and cause pain.
  • Disc herniation is a condition that occurs when a disk between two vertebrae slips out of place, causing the surrounding nerves to become irritated and create extreme pain.
  • Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis where the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time.
  • Radiculopathy is when the pain that travels to other parts of the body radiates from the spine caused by a spinal nerve and roots disease.

What is an epidural chair?

An epidural positioning device is an ergonomic stabilizing stand that can easily be adjusted to a patient’s body to provide them with enough support to keep them from moving during these common medical procedures. Anesthesiologists developed the EPD to position patients properly for correct placement and to reduce risk to caregivers. Before the availability of the epidural positioning device, caregivers had no choice but to position and hold patients manually, putting them at risk of a musculoskeletal disorder or other injuries. Patients were also at risk of falling off the bed or table! As the caregivers held the patients, the anesthesiologist would administer the epidural placement or spinal block and hope the patient did not move. If patients moved during the procedure, they were at risk of injury. Anesthesiologists were also at risk of being the subject of a lawsuit if something went wrong.

Benefits of the EPD:

  • Using an epidural positioner removes strain and injury risk to staff.
  • It allows the patient to be as comfortable as possible while preventing the invasion of their personal space than the traditional way caregivers positioned their patients.
  • The epidural positioner promotes bending of the neck, throat, and back area while keeping the person’s body stable.
  • The patient’s back remains immobile during epidural placement.
  • Reduces the risk of spreading infection throughout the facility.

With the epidural positioning device, caregivers can effectively position patients in operating rooms, labor and delivery suites, and other facilities where doctors perform epidurals and spinal block procedures.

Epidural Positioning Device and Thoracentesis

A more recent function of the EPD is that doctors are using it during thoracentesis procedures. Thoracentesis is the removal of excess fluid that has accumulated in the pleural space between a person’s lungs and the chest wall. The imaging department within the hospital typically sees these patients. A trained sonographer is tasked with positioning the patient and finding the correct intervertebral space to insert the needle. When preparing for the procedure, EPDs allow caregivers to position a patient to keep them stable and comfortable. Caregivers can adjust the machine to help support the patient’s chest, arm, head, and feet.

The epidural positioning device is suitable for operating rooms, labor and delivery suites, pain centers, or anywhere doctors perform epidurals. Because of the ability to adjust the device, it is ideal for patients of all body types and sizes.

EPD the Epidural Positioning Chair
CategoriesPatient Handling

Positioning Patients Safely with The Epidural Positioning Chair

by sphmedicaladmin

Positioning Patients Safely With An Epidural Chair or EPD

Are you tired of straining your back and arms? Do you have frequent musculoskeletal problems from attempting to hold patients in position? It’s time to let the Epidural Positioning Device (EPD) take the load off your neck, back, arms and wrists.

If you’re a nurse, nursing assistant, anesthesia tech, Nurse Manager in Labor and Delivery, or General Surgery this product is indispensable. It provides a secure, stable and comfortable support for patients who need an Epidural, spinal block, lumbar puncture. You might even be in the hospital imaging department holding patients in a similar position during thoracentesis. Imaging departments across the country are discovering that the Epidural Chair or EPD is a comfortable and ideal positioning device to support patients and avoid risk of injury to the ultrasound techs!

What Is an Epidural Positioning Chair?

Well, many think it’s a chair but the patient is really sitting on the bed or table. the EPD provides head, chest, arm and feet support for the patient. The EPD is a stable, portable device you can use every time you need to properly position a patient at bedside when preparing for epidural or spinal block. This occurs in many clinical environments both in and out of the hospital. For example, Epidurals are administered almost once per hour on busy labor and delivery floors. With the increase of total joint replacements we’re seeing even more spinal blocks being administered in peri-operative areas. They’re using the EPD too.

The old way of manually positioning patients is dangerous. Nurses are often asked to hold the patient in position and with heavier patients this presents an even greater risk to the nurse. You have probably tried stacking pillows, asking the patient to lean forward and arch their back. Then pushing a stool over to support their feet. You might even have your patient lean over a bedside table, but more than likely, that table has wheels that don’t lock and you’ve seen a patient more than once almost slip down to the floor! Now who is going to catch that patient? There’s a better way.

Using the Epidural Positioning Chair for Epidurals, Thoracentesis, Spinal Blocks and other pain management Treatments

Nurses, health care managers and health care facilities need a better solution, and the Epidural Positioning Chair provides it. It’s the standard of care used at leading hospitals to position patients for a variety of procedures without causing dangerous falls, sprains or injuries. It gives patients a more private, dignified way to receive a spinal block or other epidural therapy. Best of all, it makes your job as a caregiver safer.

The device is fully adjustable with a six-position armrest and 180-degree adjustable face rest. It’s easy to bring this device into operating rooms, labor and delivery rooms, pain clinics, birthing rooms, imaging departments, and physical therapy clinics. Keeping the EPD disinfected and clean is easy with disposable covers for the face rest.

Benefits of the EPD

  • Keeps patients stable by ensuring proper cervical, thoracic and lumbar flexion for stable alignment.
  • Allows you to position patients in a less intrusive, more private way.
  • Avoids injuries to health care workers.
  • Is wheeled for easy portability anywhere it’s needed.
  • Is fully adjustable to fit any patient.
  • Improves Patient Satisfaction

Thoracentesis has become a regular procedure both before during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. The epidural positioning device makes it easy to manage this predictable and frequent procedure. According to Mark E Brauner, DO Thoracentesis is generally performed with the patient sitting at the edge of the bed and leaning forward with arms resting on a bedside table. Side lying positions are reserved for those patients unable to sit. Our ultrasound techs need a safe work environment as well! The EPD provides safe support for patients who may experience syncope from a vasovagal response during thoracentesis.  Leading Pulmonologists at the City of Hope Medical Center in California are using the EPD for all Thoracentesis procedures.  The Techs and the patients love it too.

Studies on pregnant women receiving an epidural found women felt more comfortable and secure when their health care providers used a positioning device. Patient satisfaction went up substantially when compared to patient satisfaction when the women received treatment without the device.

Keeping our Healthcare Workers Safe

Back Injuries, Strains and other MSD’s are a serious concern among health care workers. According to the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN), half of all nonfatal occupational injuries experienced by perioperative nurses are musculoskeletal and more than a quarter of these are back injuries.

The average preoperative room is a high-risk area that can cause many injuries to staff:

  • Shoulder, back and lower leg sprains from lifting patients.
  • Trips and falls from cords, wires and slippery floors.
  • Muscle strains from pushing around heavy equipment.
  • Leg and back strain from hours of constant motion.
  • Neck and Back injuries from frequent and predictable lateral transfers.

The EPD addresses many of these issues. It’s no wonder the device has become standard equipment in leading hospitals including Duke University Hospital, John’s Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Hospitals and VA Medical Centers.

This device is a win for everyone, and it will soon become an invaluable member of your L&D, perioperative, or Imaging team.

Please contact SPH Medical for more information or to request a quote.

If you’re ready to improve patient and staff safety this device can make an immediate and positive impact. SPH Medical is a national organization focused on Nursing and frontline caregiver safety.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Positioning Patients Safely with EPD

by sphmedicaladmin

Keeping Patients Safer and Reducing Injury to Caregivers

When it comes to positioning patients safely and reducing the possibility of injury to caregivers, the medical community has continually adopted new technology. The EPD is no different. Known formally as an epidural positioning device, this medical technology is successful in positioning patients safely for various procedures.

Most popularly used to position a patient for an epidural procedure, the epidural positioning device has provided many benefits for users and caregivers alike. The first and most obvious benefit is that this epidural positioner works to properly position and support a patient for a successful procedure.

Traditionally, the caregiver had to position the patient for this procedure manually. This puts the caregiver at risk for injury or MSD.  The National Institute of Health breaks down the risks of workplace injury to Nurses who work on a Labor and Delivery unit.  One of the known high risk tasks for nurses identified by NIH is assisting with epidural procedures.  The best way to reduce risk of injury is to either modify the task or implement engineering controls so that the risk is removed. The EPD or Epidural Positioning Chair solves these manual handling problems. In addition, manual handling allows for less accurate positioning and more risk for complications during the procedure. Once the benefits of EPD were discovered by nursing staff and patients, its use expanded to support spinal blocks, lumbar puncture, and thoracentesis procedures in the imaging or ultrasound department.

Expanded Use For General Surgery

With the success of the epidural positioner for childbirth assistance, anesthesiologists have utilized this device for different types of spinal blocks. A spinal block is, essentially, spinal anesthesia that is used to numb the spine during certain procedures. The most common procedures for a spinal block include urinary tract, genital, and lower body procedures including total knee replacements.

Since a thoracentesis procedure requires inserting a needle into the pleural space, the EPD is a much-appreciated tool. The patient positioning with this device allows for an open area between the lungs and the chest wall where the surgeon can remove excess fluid to allow the patient to breathe significantly easier.

What Are The Benefits of The Epidural Positioning Device

As you’ve learned, the epidural positioning device has been employed in various types of medical procedures. From starting as a better way to positioning patients safety during an epidural procedure to being employed more recently in thoracentesis procedures, it’s very clear that this medical device offers many benefits for its users.

Manual epidural positioning is typically achieved with a chair and pillows. The caregiver would position the patient’s feet on a chair or stool. They would then place pillows underneath the patient’s upper body as they placed their weight on the pillows.

This isn’t a solid foundation as pillows can easily move out of position, and the height of the chair or stool is likely not ideal for all patients. The epidural positioning device comes with a solid foundation that won’t move. It can easily lock into position and offers adjustable foot platforms so that each patient can be in an ideal position for the procedure.

Eliminates Injury Risk To Caregiver

In Pre-Ops, ORs, and throughout other areas of the hospital, caregivers are manually positioning patients for epidural-like procedures. The typical scenario requires the caregiver to steadily hold a stool, table, and patient with their entire body throughout the procedure. This ensures the patient doesn’t move, resulting in patient injury.

Assisting the patient in holding the ‘mad cat’ flexed spine position puts the caregiver in an unhealthy position. This position can lead to musculoskeletal injuries for caregivers. In fact, hospital ergonomic teams have identified that these static holds, performed on a regular basis, can lead to musculoskeletal disease in caregivers.

Reduces Risk Of Complications

Given the unique, taxing nature of patient positioning during spinal blocks and epidural procedures, there is a high risk of complications. Without a reliable, ergonomic solution, like an epidural positioning device, caregivers are us

ing their own body positioning to hold the patient fast.

The patient, on the other hand, is relying on pillows to hold their positioning. As the pain sets in from the procedure, patients are very likely to move involuntarily. This further increases the risk of the procedure being compromised as the needle is not inserted into the spine’s proper place.

An epidural positioning device provides a solid positioning for patients. This positioning allows the caregiver to rely more on the device than their own body weight to hold the patient in the ideal position for the procedure. Overall, these benefits greatly reduce the risk of complications during epidurals and spinal blocks.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Promoting Staff and Patient Safety with an EPD

by sphmedicaladmin

Patient Safety with an EPD

Invasive procedures involving conscious patients are tricky. It can be difficult for a patient to maintain a static position during this important procedure. A sudden movement from the patient may cause unnecessary pain and discomfort. To reduce the risk of improper epidural placement and to eliminate the manual handling of the patient by the nurse, SPH Medical can improve overall safety and efficiency with an EPD.  One might not see an epidural placement as involving manual patient handling but this common procedure puts nurses and patients at risk every day. The strain of bearing a patient’s weight when holding them in position and applying counter pressure can cause neck shoulder and even back injuries to nursing staff.  Nurses and nursing assistants are twice as likely than other professions to deal with musculoskeletal disorders or MSD’s that keep them out of work.

Improving Epidural Placement

An epidural is a common way for an anesthesiologist to provide pain relief during labor and delivery. The doctor delivers a shot that goes directly into the space near the patient’s spinal cord. In some cases, patients receive a spinal block. In this case, a catheter delivers a regular stream of anesthetic to prevent pain for prolonged labor or surgical procedure.

To ease the procedure for both the doctor and the patient, it is best to have the patient in a position that opens the spinal vertebrae. In the past, staff would accomplish this by laying patients on their sides.

However, it is more effective for patients to sit upright and bent forward with a curved spine. Without the right equipment, holding this position might involve a staff member giving physical support. With an epidural placement device, or EPD, the patient can sit naturally and comfortably through the procedure.

How an EPD Works

When medical staff members are trying to get a patient in the proper position, they might use a surgical tray or bedside table and a footstool. When you are using equipment for a task for which it was not designed, there is an increased risk of tipping and injury.  Also, patients come in different shapes and sizes.  A shorter patient will need a higher footstool and lower bedside table tray to obtain the proper curve of the spine.

An epidural positioner is a safe patient handling device designed specifically to perform this task. The standard model has an adjustable headrest and armrests that support the upper body, and adjustable footrests keep the lower body at the correct angle. Once everything locks into place, the sturdy device handles the weight of the patient. When an anesthesiologist gives an epidural or spinal block, he or she can rest assured that the patient will be still and well-supported during the procedure.

Additional Uses

As more anesthesiology departments began to adopt the use of an epidural positioner, other medical specialists saw potential applications. The same position that aids the placement of an epidural is also helpful during thoracentesis.

Imaging departments often carry out this procedure to treat pleural effusions. When there is liquid in the space between the lungs and chest wall, it makes breathing difficult. Guided by imaging equipment, a medical staff member inserts a hollow needle between the ribs of the patient to relieve the pressure and collect samples.

Once again, this is a procedure where the patient must stay in one position for an extended period. Using the epidural positioner helps separate the patient’s ribs and makes it easier to perform the insertion. The patient can stay in place without discomfort or requiring support from the staff.

Safety for Both Staff and Patients

At SPH Medical, we specialize in solutions that improve patient care and reduce risk of injury to both the patient and the caregiver. Procedures like an epidural or thoracentesis are more efficient and less stressful for patients when they are properly positioned.  Safe patient handling procedures prevent unnecessary staff injuries and lost time. For institutions, this leads to an overall reduction in frequency and severity of MSD’s to a very skilled workforce, our nurses.  Investing in Safe Patient Handling provides a well documented return on investment for everyone.  Having access to the proper assistive equipment means improved patient outcomes, and lower costs for the hospital.

SPH Medical EPD 4
CategoriesInfection Prevention,  Patient Handling

The EPD and Air Transfer System Improve Patient and Staff Safety

by sphmedicaladmin

SPH Medical is Improving Safety for Hospital Staff and Patients

SPH Medical is here to improve patient staff safety in labor and delivery and surgical units with the Epidural Positioning Device and the air transfer system.

COVID-19 is putting our healthcare workers at risk. Manually handling patients under normal conditions is known to put our nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers at risk. Now more than ever hospital staff need to have the right tools to help move, support, lift and transfer patients. The EPD and air powered lateral transfer system improve patient and staff safety especially during this time of heightened concern about infection prevention.

SPH Medical Provides Safe Patient Handling Solutions to Healthcare Facilities

SPH Medical provides Safe Patient Handling solutions to healthcare facilities which means that we protect our frontline caregivers by preventing infection and injuries.

Within Hospitals nurses are being asked to care for patients infected with Cov-Sars2 and other deadly viral and bacterial infections. In order to deal with these deadly infections the Infection Control Nurse within the hospital mandates that single patient use devices are used where possible to lift move and transfer patients. Single patient use items are essentially disposable items that are patient specific, which means that they don’t get used with other patients. The outside laundry system generally isn’t trusted with returning specialized items or hospital owned items back to the hospital so then hospital is forced to use “disposable” items where possible to minimize the risk of infection to other patients. At times this can seem costly, but the risk and cost of hospital acquired infections and and nursing injuries is well with the investment.

How Does this Relate to One of the Most Important Departments in the Hospital?

The Labor and Delivery department is where new mothers give birth to their children in what should be safe and infection free environment.

A large percentage of mothers are continuing to get cesarean section procedures (cite sources and %) even in today’s COVID-19 environment.

With the c-section procedure comes several high-frequency patient handling tasks that Put our nurses and doctors at risk every day, lateral transfers to the OB OR table and patient positioning during the epidural injection procedure.

First the Epidural. Positioning the patient in the proper position for the injection puts our nurses at risk of injury. (See other blog posts we’ve written). We solve this my by making the patient comfortable and eliminating the static holding by the nurse with the Epidural Positioning Device.

Once the patient has received the epidural successfully and the are ready to be moved to the OB OR for the C-section procedure that staff have to plan how to move the patient on and off the table safely. Keep in mind the patient can’t scoot across to the table. They can’t feel their lower half! The staff need to use a assistive tool to transfer the patient safely on and off the OR table. What solutions are available to accomplish this?

Lateral Transfer Devices Available on the Market

There are a variety of lateral transfer devices available on the market to help transfer patients safely to and from beds, gurneys, OR tables, and Imaging Tables.

There are simple Friction Reducing Devices such as slide sheets (“easy slide disposable“ from SPH Medical) Available in many styles: flat sheets with handles, tube style sheets, there are lateral transfer boards made out of plastic also called slider boards – these are not ideal as they don’t significantly reduce friction to safe levels, there are roller boards like the Rollerslide by SPH Medical which act like a conveyer belt moving with the patient. Finally the gold standard of lateral transfer solutions is the air powered lateral transfer system which floats the patient on a comfortable layer of air between the two surfaces. This   makes the transfer process not only more comfortable for the patient but also eliminates risk of injury to the nursing and hospital staff performing the transfer. You can find a well documented clinical evaluation on Friction Reducing Devices here by Andrea Baptiste, MA, CIE, Sruthi V. Boda, MS, Audrey L. Nelson, PhD, RN, FAAN, John D. Lloyd, PhD, MErgS, CPE, and William E. Lee, III, PhD.

All Employees Should be Wearing the Appropriate Fluid Rated N95 Respirators

All employees should be wearing the appropriate fluid rated N95 respirators like the Makrite 9500-N95 which is FDA 510K approved for use as a surgical mask.

Summary

The EPD and air powered transfer system improve patient and staff safety. SPH Medical provides a total solution to reduce risks of infection and injury to our frontline caregivers in Labor and Delivery and throughout the hospital. This is not limited to Labor and Delivery departments. We are addressing similar risks throughout the entire hospital and continuum of care helping to create new standards for safety and protection of our healthcare workers. This is not about obesity and COVID. This is about caring for every patient and every nurse to improve patient outcomes and reduce risks of Infection and injury related to MSD’s and high-risk, high-frequency patient care tasks.

Please contact SPH Medical to learn more about improving safety in Labor and Delivery with air transfer systems and the EPD. To learn more about the Makrite N95 Mask options including the 9500-N95 and the SEKURA-N95.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Patient Positioning During Thoracentesis Solved

by sphmedicaladmin

Major Advancements in Safe Patient Positioning during Thoracentesis

Over the past two decades we have seen major advancements in patient care. This includes many new Safe Patient Handling Solutions developed to help our nurses and caregivers avoid the risk injury. Manual patient handling is one of the leading causes of back injuries for nurses. Many States have put laws in place to mandate that hospitals have a Safe Patient Handling program. This includes evaluating all inpatient units for high risk tasks that involve lifting, pushing, pulling, or prolonged static holds. Then the hospital should evaluate solutions to mitigate the risk. Here we are in 2020 and manual patient handling has not been eliminated yet!

We have been receiving phone calls from hospitals around the country describing a very common procedure. It is putting their ultrasound/imaging team at risk of injury on a daily basis. The procedure is called Thoracentesis and the issues are patient positioning during Thoracentesis.

Thoracentesis is also known as thoracocentesis or pleural tap. It is an invasive procedure to remove fluid or air from the pleural space for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. A cannula, or hollow needle, is carefully introduced into the thorax, generally after administration of local anesthesia.

One Ultrasound Manager at leading hospital found our website and the EPD – or Epidural Positioning Device. She contacted us and thought this would be perfect for their situation.

Here’s a brief description:

This hospital sees both inpatients and outpatients for Thora’s (That’s short for Thoracentesis). They’re performing about 3-6 procedures per day, seven days a week.

A Nurse or LPN helps assist to position the patient. The patient is seated on a gurney or table. The Nurse brings over a stool to support their feet. Then moves a bedside tray table over in front of the patient. Next they stack the table with pillows so the patient can lean on it comfortably. But, the table does not lock and it is a tip hazard!

We found this reference card on the web describing the old fashioned manual positioning of patients during Thora’s

thoracentesis Nursing Care Patient Prep

Which patients are getting Thoracentesis? There are many types of patients with varying diagnoses that need to undergo this procedure. People get “plural effusion” which is fluid around the lungs. A large number of patients are cancer patients but many are also heart and infections.

Thoracentesis Procedure

Thoracentesis procedure

How are we solving this predictable procedure and all the manual patient handling – static holds, fall risk, etc? The SPH Medical Epidural Positioning Device is the key. It was designed by an anesthesiologist to help position patients properly and to open up the spine for ideal needle placement of an Epidural or Spinal Block. It has now become the standard of care for L&D and surgery departments. Now the Radiology/Imaging department has discovered it and we’re helping the ultrasound team and Pulmonologists position patients safely and efficiently.

We have few photos from a recent customer that has implemented the EPD. Here are the before and after photos. Please feel free to Contact us for more information about the EPD and Thora’s. We would be happy to connect you with to our customers who are now using the EPD for all of their Thora’s and creating a safer environment for their staff and patients.

Thoras Before

A Typical Thoracentesis set up with a stool and non-locking tray table with pillows.

Thoras After with EPD

Now with the EPD – Ergonomic patient positioning that supports the patient safely and eliminates manual handling!

CategoriesPatient Handling

Keeping Staff and Patients Safe in OR and Radiology with the EPD

by sphmedicaladmin

The EPD and E-EPD were developed to reduce the risk of injuries and improve safety among staff and patients. By implementing the use of EPDs, hospitals can actively protect their staff and improve patient outcomes.

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Safe Patient Handling

EPDs are used in numerous medical settings including labor and delivery, general surgery, operating rooms, anesthesiology, radiology and orthopedic departments. These are all settings in which epidurals, spinal blocks, x-rays and Thoracentesis procedures are performed. Keeping patients safe and comfortable while avoiding injuries is an extremely important factor for every medical facility. EPDs correctly and effectively position patients to do just that. They create a sturdy, steady and comfortable place to assist in holding patients in place while their procedure is performed.

Reducing Risks to Staff 

Hospitals and medical facilities are responsible for keeping their nurses and support staff safe. Plans to keep staff injury-free include providing them with the right tools. EPDs eliminate back pain and body strain that nurses can endure while assisting with tradition positioning methods associated with epidurals and like procedures. It is important to keep nurses and hospital staff healthy and performing at their best. EPDs make this easy. They position and support patients correctly and easily so that nurses don’t have the pressure and physical load of holding patients in a stable position for a long period of time. This can cause a lot of strain and be uncomfortable, especially if the patient is larger than the nurse.

Download EPD Package Data Sheet

Download E-EPD Data Sheet

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EPDs and E-EPDs are a clearly defined safety need in hospitals. Not only do they keep patients safe, they help keep the hospital staff safe as well. They help eliminate errors, injuries and accidents which directly increases patient and nurse satisfaction. EPDs are easy to implement and use, making it a simple decision when it comes to protecting staff and patients.

 

Contact SPH Medical for more information about supporting your patient and staff safety goals.

info@sphmedical.com

1-844-377-4633

www.sphmedical.com

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