Recumbent patients: is turning enough?

Abstract

Recumbency in patients can be challenging in veterinary practice, and further understanding of the care that these dependent patients require can be potentially further improved. Patients are seen for complex disease processes and the advances in veterinary medicine have allowed for impressive intensive care to be achieved, and the ability for gold standard nursing care which demands further research into this field. To enable care to be of the highest standard, and to ensure recumbent patients nursing care is maintained to the gold standard while hospitalised, informed, knowledgeable and trained registered veterinary nurses (RVNs) should be advised on the appropriate nursing interventions to be applied to promote quicker recovery from disease. Maintaining patent respiratory function is a necessity with recumbent patients to facilitate recovery from disease processes.

Nursing the recumbent patient

“…Simple interventions that involve a change in posture are associated with decreased pneumonia incidence and atelectasis (Bell 2015). Patients should be supported in sternal recumbency where possible.…”