How Hospital Beds Are Used In Therapy

HOSPITAL BED THERAPY

3 Positions are used:

   Trendelenburg And Reverse Trendelenburg

   Trendelenburg – Feet above Head

   Reverse Trendelenburg – Head above Feet

Assuming the patient has a vascular problem, which concerns blood flow, the legs are to be elevated at the lower extremities, and the lower leg section can be raised manually by a ratchet adjustment to the proper elevation.

The thigh section is activated to raise the flexing position to the desired elevation or until the leg section is parallel, or the knees approximately the level of the heart.

This position is generally prescribed for patients with phlebitis following vein ligation surgery to prohibit blood clots from forming and causing emboli to travel into the lungs or heart muscle.

(Mid Shock Position)

There are frequent occasions when it will be required to lower the patient’s head below the prone or horizontal position of the body, and speed is generally essential here. This position is required for creating an airway for an insertion of an intra tracheal tube, called intubation, to prohibit suffocation or to eliminate vomit from the trachea.

(Shock) In-Line Position

This position is used when a patient has a sudden lowering of the blood or venous pressure wherein elevation of the lower extremities is required in order to allow blood to flow from these extremities to the brain for oxygenation, and in doing so, equalize the venous pressure within the body.

This originated in the 18^th century when a German doctor, Dr. Frederich Trendelenburg, was operating on a patient. The legs at the head end of the operating bench broke. This accident allowed the venous pressure of the patient to stabilize and also left the abdominal cavity free of blood for better visualization into the wound. Many patients have subsequently left this world by the sudden shock or loss of blood pressure duing operations. Dr. Trendelenburg experimented with this procedure an devidently wrote a surgical paper justifying the so-called “Trendelenburg Procedure.”

This position still remains as part of the surgeons armitarium in control of venous pressure.

The following products can be used for these therapies:

Invacare® Full Electric Home Care Bed   Invacare® Semi-Electric Home Care Bed

Prodedures to use:

Trendelenburg – Feet above Head

1. Disconnect long shaft which connects motor to Head End.
      short shaft stays connect to motor.

2. Raise Foot End with hand pendant / crank.

Reverse Trendelenburg – Head above Feet

1. Disconnect short shaft which connects motor to Foot End.
      Long shaft stays connected to motor.

2. Raise Head End with hand pendant / crank.