Who Are These Positions Named After?
These positions are named after Friedrich Trendelenburg (1844-1924). He was a German surgeon. Trandelenburg was born and studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
He practiced medicine throughout a couple different healthcare facilities in Europe. He is also responsible for many of the advancements in in types of surgeries and medical procedures. His son and grandson are pharmacologists. His Dad was a philosopher.
Trendelenburg Position Definition and Explanation
Like Dorsal Recumbant Position, Fowler’s Position, and Sims’ Position; this is another resting positions for patients. In this position, the patient is lying on the backs. They are face up and looking upward toward the ceiling. Legs straight out and arms lying alongside the body.
The bed or table that the patient is lying is angled so the his or her feet are positioned above the head. The feet are elevated about 15 to 30 degrees in the air. This position ideal for some abdominal and gynecological surgeries. This position can allow better access to organs located in the pelvis because gravity can the intestines out of the way.
For example, it is used to complete surgeries for patients with abdominal hernias. The trendelenburg position is also good for respiratory patients to facilitate better perfusion.
This position used to be used to treat patients with shock, recovering from deep water dives and scuba dives, with prophylaxis, and low blood pressure. The medical community, no longer uses this position to treat those issues for may reasons.
Some of the main reasons being that it sometimes cut off airways due to gravitational pull, causes the brain to swell, and makes it harder to breath. This position can cause vomiting and gathering up of fluids in the chest. Therefore many doctors and nurses no longer use this position in these situations.
Reverse Trendelenburg Position Definition
This is the exact opposite traditional Trendelenburg position and is also named the “anti-trendelenburg”. The head is elevated higher 15 to 30 degrees in the air. Thus, the head are elevated higher than the feet. The patient is still lying on his or her back and facing the ceiling. This position has its benefits and is used in some operations and procedures.
However, there are some risks. These include hypo tension, drop in heart rate an pulse, drop in body temperature, and drop in blood pressure. The patient must be constantly monitored while in this position to avoid these health risks. The circulation of the blood can be compromised in this position as well.
The reverse trendelenburg position is used to expose the prostate and upper abdominal region during surgery. This position also helps respiration for overweight and obese individuals during surgery by relieving the head of pressure. Built up pressure to the head is something overweight people can experience during surgery.
Overall, this position is good for head and neck procedures. This is because blood flows reduces to the brain, neck, and genital area. This position also prevents pulmonary aspiration and vomiting.
See also Qhs meaning
Conclusion
The positions we have talked about in this article have many uses in the medical world. Their roles have changed over time but are still useful today in different shapes and forms.
Medical professionals are advised to learn as much about these positions as possible. Also they should always monitoring the patients while they are in this position. The trendelenburg position and the reverse trendelenburg position have been advancements in the world of medicine. They continue to help patients to this day.