A 325-lb male is undergoing a 6-hour abdominal surgery.While asleep and intubated,the surgeon requests the patient to be placed in lithotomy position for a sigmoidoscopy before the open procedure.The team of five nonscrubbed persons lifts the patient with the lift sheet,slides the patient down toward the foot of the OR bed,and places him into position.After the sigmoidoscopy,the perioperative nurse has the team roll the patient to his side for a skin assessment of his back before he is repositioned supine.What injury is the perioperative nurse concerned that she might see?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Shear is the folding of underlying tissue when the skeletal structure moves while the skin remains stationary.A parallel force creates shear,unlike the perpendicular force created by pressure.As gravity pulls the skeleton down,any stretching,folding,and tearing of the underlying tissues,as they slide with the skeleton,can occlude vascular perfusion,which can lead to tissue ischemia.

A 325-Lb Male Is Undergoing a 6-Hour Abdominal Surgery