Best Position For Pneumonia Patient

Orthopneic Or Tripod Position

Orthopneic or tripod position places the patient in a sitting position or on the side of the bed with an overbed table in front to lean on and several pillows on the table to rest on.

• Maximum lung expansion. Patients who are having difficulty breathing are often placed in this position because it allows maximum expansion of the chest.
• Helps in exhaling. Orthopneic position is particularly helpful to patients who have problems exhaling because they can press the lower part of the chest against the edge of the overbed table.

Heterogeneity Sensitivity And Small Study Effect Analyses

The sensitivity analysis did not show significant changes when the individual study data were removed from any comparison analysis.

The heterogeneity for pairwise comparisons was not important for the comparisons of prone and semi-recumbent positions versus supine position for VAP and mortality outcomes . The comparison of semi-recumbent versus supine positions showed considerable heterogeneity for the duration of MV and ICU and hospital length of stay outcomes . The pairwise comparison between prone and supine positions showed no important heterogeneity for the duration of MV and substantial heterogeneity for the ICU length of stay outcomes .

Funnel plot asymmetry and Eggers test did not show a small-study effect on any outcome: VAP , mortality , ICU length of stay , hospital length of stay , and duration of MV .

Transitivity And Consistency Assessment

The population included in the control groups of the different interventions was similar in the baseline distribution of the potential effect modifiers analysed . Nevertheless, some potential modifiers, such as the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Disease Classification System II or Glasgow Coma Scale , could not be analysed due to the scarcity of studies reporting these variables . The results of inconsistency and coherence are displayed in Additional file .

Read Also: How Often To Receive Pneumonia Vaccine

Why Is It Bad To Sleep With Wet Hair

Though sleeping with wet hair wont give you a cold, Dr. Shah says that it does increase your risk of developing a fungal infection of the scalp. Fungi, such as Malassezia, can lead to conditions like dandruff or dermatitis, according to Shah, who recommends going to sleep with dry hair when possible.

What Research Shows About Patient Positioning

A study published in the Canadian Respiratory Journal sought to test whether patient positioning could improve oxygenation in patients with ARDS.

ARDS is a condition that usually occurs in patients who are critically ill or have sustained severe injuries.

In ARDS, the lungs fill with fluid preventing oxygen from reaching the patients bloodstream, lowering blood 02 levels, and thus depriving the organs of the oxygen needed to function.

The researchers found persuasive evidence and data to suggest that the prone position increased oxygenation and improved mortality rates in patients with ARDS.

Though the researchers state that further research is needed, the results are just as persuasive as the physical evidence was. Another study also found improved blood oxygenation levels in the prone position for patients with COVID-19-related pneumonia.

Want a deeper dive into a complete list of patient body positions? You can find it here.

An oxygen mask, nasal cannula, or even intubation sometimes isnt enough to relieve a patients respiratory distress.

These measures in addition to proper positioning, however, can relieve pressure on the chest, improve lung function, promote chest expansion, and increase overall blood oxygenation.

And almost as important as proper positioning is using these tips for safely transferring a patient whether youre moving them from bed or repositioning them in bed.

Also Check: Can You Have Pneumonia And No Fever

What Is Patient Positioning

Patient positioning involves properly maintaining a patients neutral body alignment by preventing hyperextension and extreme lateral rotation to prevent complications of immobility and injury. Positioning patients is an essential aspect of nursing practice and a responsibility of the registered nurse. In surgery, specimen collection, or other treatments, proper patient positioning provides optimal exposure of the surgical/treatment site and maintenance of the patients dignity by controlling unnecessary exposure. In most settings, positioning patients provide airway management and ventilation, maintaining body alignment, and provide physiologic safety.

Best Positions To Reduce Shortness Of Breath

Sep 7, 2021 | Breathing Exercises, Guides, Respiratory Lifestyle, Tips

People living with chronic lung diseases often experience shortness of breath. Most people feel that shortness of breath is one of the most concerning symptoms of chronic lung diseases. Chronic lung diseases make it difficult for people to breathe normally, so people often have trouble maintaining adequate blood oxygen levels.

The respiratory system brings oxygen into the body and delivers it to the body. The soft, spongy lungs dont have any muscles within them, so they need surrounding muscles and bones to help them work. During shortness of breath, it can feel as though you arent able to breathe normally. Were here to help with the information you need about breathlessness and the best positions to reduce shortness of breath.

Don’t Miss: Can You Give Someone Pneumonia

Goals Of Patient Positioning

The ultimate goal of proper patient positioning is to safeguard the patient from injury and physiological complications of immobility. Specifically, patient positioning goals include:

• Provide patient comfort and safety. Support the patients airway and maintain the circulation throughout the procedure . Impaired venous return to the heart, and ventilation-to-perfusion mismatching are common complications. Proper positioning promotes comfort by preventing nerve damage and by preventing unnecessary extension or rotation of the body.
• Maintaining patient dignity and privacy. In surgery, proper positioning is a way to respect the patients dignity by minimizing exposure of the patient who often feels vulnerable perioperatively.
• Allows maximum visibility and access. Proper positioning allows ease of surgical access as well as for anesthetic administration during perioperative phase.

What Is Prone Positioning And How Does It Affect Lung Function

In the setting of severe ARDS, ventilation in the supine position results in gravitational forces that may increase pulmonary edema and atelectasis in dependent lung zones. Abdominal organs displace the posterior diaphragm superiorly, exacerbating posterior lung collapse.8 Defective hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction may also contribute to ventilation/perfusion mismatch.9

A comparison of some physiological effects of supine and prone positioning. In the prone position, reduced force from other organs is applied to the lungs, which allows for improved lung compliance and therefore improved relation between ventilation and perfusion of the lungs. Top panel: Dark blue arrows indicate the direction of the force exerted on the lungs by the heart. Middle panel: Arrows indicate the direction of the force exerted on the lungs by the abdominal organs. For prone positioning, less force from these organs is applied to the lungs, which allows for improved lung compliance by decreasing the force it needs to expand against. Bottom panel: Graded shading represents lung perfusion with darker shade representing greater ventilation/perfusion mismatch owing to alveolar collapse posteriorly in the supine position . Note: A = anterior, P = posterior. Modified from the original figure created by Mike Fralick and Saba Manzoor by Émilie Lacharité.

You May Like: How To Cure Walking Pneumonia

Data Synthesis And Analysis

Categorization of available evidence

Body position interventions were determined as follows:

• The supine position was defined as a body position with a head-of-bed elevation angle of 010° . In addition, when the study reported a supine position, but the angle was greater than 10°, but less than 30°, this position was also categorized in the supine group.

• The semi-recumbent position was defined as upright positioning of the head and torso at an angle30° . Different angles30° were considered in this category.

• The prone position was defined as the posture of an individual lying face down, regardless of the length of time the position was maintained.

• The lateralTrendelenburg position was defined as a position in which the patient was positioned in a semilateral position, such as the recovery position, with the head of the bed tilted 510° in the Trendelenburg position .

Statistical analysis

The same process as mentioned above was employed in a subgroup analysis to assess the best angle degrees of semi-recumbency to prevent VAP in patients undergoing MV and admitted to the ICU.

All analyses were conducted with Stata V.15.0 , and with the CINeMA software. .

Is It Bad To Sleep With Wet Curly Hair

While its ok to sleep with wet curly hair when done safely, there are a few reasons why this often isnt the best idea. For starters, hair is very fragile when wet. In fact, this is when its the most susceptible to damage and breakage. Wet hair at bedtime can also leave your strands with a weird smell.

Read Also: Can Pneumonia Vaccine Cause Elevated Liver Enzymes

Study Selection And Data Extraction

After removing duplicate retrieved records, two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts. Then, the reviewers evaluated the full-text articles, and when any discrepancy between the two independent reviewers occurred, a third coauthor was consulted to resolve it .

We included randomized controlled trials that met the following inclusion criteria: patients undergoing endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h and reported data on VAP incidence.

We included RCTs comparing different body positions or alternative degrees of positioning of mechanically ventilated patients: supine, semi-recumbent, prone or lateral. The main study outcome measure was the incidence of VAP , and the secondary outcome variables were ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, duration of MV and mortality.

Trials with quasi-experimental, cluster randomization and crossover designs and only published as abstracts were excluded. In addition, unpublished studies or those including repeated data were excluded. No language restrictions were applied.

Data from the included RCTs were extracted through a standard data extraction form, including first author year of publication country characteristics of the participants outcomes: incidence of VAP , ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, duration of MV and mortality characteristics of the treatments: body position , angles and hours per day in this position and other related cointerventions.

What Is The Best Patient Position To Promote Oxygenation

by NurseHive | Nov 16, 2020 | Health |

How a patient is positioned can have a dramatic impact on blood oxygenation and breathing function.

Not only does oxygenation and proper respiration affect a patients comfort level and recovery, but some patients may also be at risk for ARDS .

With the optimal patient position, we can avoid further lung damage, reduce mortality rates due to ARDS, aid patient recovery, and increase overall comfort levels.

If youd like to explore the dorsal recumbent or semi-recumbent position, look here. Were going to look at some of the causes of respiratory problems and the best patient positions to promote oxygenation and easier respiration.

Read Also: Pneumonia Shot Where To Get It

Conditions That Affect Breathing And Oxygenation

There are a large number of conditions, illnesses, and injuries that can affect a patients breathing and blood oxygen levels. Respiratory problems were brought to the forefront with the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus and the respiratory distress it can cause.

Even before the coronavirus, there is a long list of conditions that impact a patients breathing, including:

• ARDS
• COPD
• Emphysema
• Chest injuries
• Inhalation injuries

From mild to severe distress, intubation, or a nose cannula no matter what the recommendation to improve breathing and blood oxygen level, perhaps the most critical remedy is to make sure that the patient is in the best position.

Research has shown that certain patient positions can not only help a patient breathe easier, but improve oxygenation.

What Is The Dorsal Lithotomy Position

What is the lithotomy position? The lithotomy position is often used during childbirth and surgery in the pelvic area. It involves lying on your back with your legs flexed 90 degrees at your hips. Your knees will be bent at 70 to 90 degrees, and padded foot rests attached to the table will support your legs.

Also Check: How Long For Lungs To Heal After Pneumonia

Supine Or Dorsal Recumbent Position

Supine position, or dorsal recumbent, is wherein the patient lies flat on the back with head and shoulders slightly elevated using a pillow unless contraindicated .

• Variation in position. In supine position, legs may be extended or slightly bent with arms up or down. It provides comfort in general for patients under recovery after some types of surgery.
• Most commonly used position. Supine position is used for general examination or physical assessment.
• Watch out for skin breakdown. Supine position may put patients at risk for pressure ulcers and nerve damage. Assess for skin breakdown and pad bony prominences.
• Support for supine position. Small pillows may be placed under the head to and lumbar curvature. Heels must be protected from pressure by using a pillow or ankle roll. Prevent prolonged plantar flexion and stretch injury of the feet by placing a padded footboard.
• Supine position in surgery. Supine is frequently used on procedures involving the anterior surface of the body . A small pillow or donut should be used to stabilize the head, as extreme rotation of the head during surgery can lead to occlusion of the vertebral artery.

Related Faq For Should You Lay Down With Pneumonia

Does sleeping sitting up help prevent pneumonia?

Stay upright for 30 minutes after eating. If you are not able to sit up in a chair, tilt your bed to an upright position for meals and snacks. Keep the head of your bed elevated to 30 degrees all of the time especially if you have had surgery. This will help you breathe better and prevent pneumonia.

Is a hot shower good when you have pneumonia?

Use a humidifier, take a steamy shower or bath to make it easier for you to breathe. Get lots of rest. Don’t rush your recovery. It can take weeks to get your full strength back.

Is it safe to put a heating pad on your chest?

You can use warm compresses or a heating pad on the lowest setting to relieve chest discomfort. Use several times a day for 15-20 minutes at a time. To prevent injury to your skin, set the temperature to warm, not hot. Don’t put the compress or pad directly on your skin.

Why is chest infection worse at night?

Gravity The number one factor that makes your cough worse at night is simple: gravity. Mitchell Blass, MD, a physician with Georgia Infectious Diseases, says, When we lie down, mucus automatically begins to pool. The best way to counteract this gravitational pull is elevation.

How do you drain your lungs?

Is it hard to sleep with Covid?

Don’t Miss: Symptoms Of Pneumonia In Adults Over 65

What Muscles Are Used For Breathing

To better understand shortness of breath, its important to know about the muscles used for breathing. Breathing can be a voluntary or involuntary act. For example, you can voluntarily hold your breath or take a slow, deep breath. Involuntary breathing occurs when you breathe without thinking about breathing at all, such as when you sleep.

Because the lungs themselves dont contain any muscles, they need help from muscles within the body. The intercostal muscles are small and numerous muscles situated between each rib and on each side of each rib. The intercostal muscles help enlarge the chest cavity and contract to pull the ribcage both upward and outward as you inhale.

The diaphragm is the most important muscle to breathing. In fact, the diaphragm has its own nerve supply and can work involuntarily and voluntarily. The diaphragm works like a vacuum. When the diaphragm contracts during inhalation, it goes down toward the stomach, expands the lungs and pulls new air into them. During exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and moves back to its original position. As the diaphragm relaxes, it and the intercostal muscles in the ribcage push old air back out of the lungs. The intercostal muscles also relax and reduce the space in the chest cavity.

Best Life: Face Down To Fight Covid

NEW YORK, N.Y. Its one of the lessons from the hospital frontlines and it was reinforced during the recent coronavirus pandemic positioning matters. A significant percentage of pneumonia patients who were placed on their stomachs or sides early on were able to avoid mechanical ventilation.

As patients began to flood hospitals in March and April, ventilators were in short supply. Thats when some emergency doctors began to rethink patients positions in bed. Traditionally, on their backs.

Nicholas Caputo, MD, MSc, FACEP, FAAEM, MAJ, associate chief and attending physician in the department of emergency medicine at NYC Health and Hospitals explained, Just by the weight of your media sternum, your heart and your chest on the lungs, it collapses some of the spaces of the lungs. You turn the patients over, and what that does is that helps to open up some of the collapsed alveoli.

Airway specialist Dr. Richard Levitan volunteered at a New York hospital for ten days and saw the benefits and the drawbacks of being awake in a prone position.

Patients sometimes are uncomfortable laying down on their stomach. And I came up with the idea to use a pregnancy massage cushion as a way to help patients lay on their stomach comfortably, Dr. Levitan recalled.

And in those 50 patients within the first 24 hours, we were able to avoid intubation in three-quarters of them.

A small change in position making a life-altering difference in some COVID patients.

Most Read

Recommended Reading: How To Build Your Lungs Up After Pneumonia

What Is The Healthiest Sleeping Position

• Best sleep positions. Lets face it.
• Fetal position. Theres a reason why this is the most popular sleep position.
• Sleeping on your side. As it turns out, sleeping on your side is actually pretty good for you especially if youre sleeping on your left side.
• Lying on your stomach.
• Flat on your back.