Your patient is a 79-year-old woman who fell on the ice and fractured her hip. She underwent a surgical procedure to repair the fracture and is now non-weight-bearing on the right leg. Which technique would you most likely use to assist her in scooting up in the bed?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Asking the patient to bridge and use her arms to assist will put too much pressure on her right leg which is non-weight-bearing. Using the overhead trapeze may be difficult for the patient given that she is 79 years old and may not have the upper body strength to pull herself up. Moving her up using a draw sheet with two assistants may be too cumbersome and interfere with her surgical incision. Asking her to bend her left leg only and bridge, using her arms to assist, will avoid putting pressure on the injured leg while still providing enough leverage to help her scoot up in bed.

Your Patient Is a 79-Year-Old Woman Who Fell on the Ice