Therapeutic Positioning Doesn't Affect Vital Parameters

TUESDAY, Oct. 6, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- For severely disabled patients with central neurological disorders, therapeutic positioning does not affect vital parameters, according to a study published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Heidrun M. Pickenbrock, from Hannover Medical School in Germany, and colleagues examined the effects of positioning on heart rate, breathing frequency, and blood pressure in post-acute, severely disabled patients with central neurological disorders. Two hundred eighteen patients were randomly allocated to Lagerung in Neutralstellung (positioning in neutral) or conventional positions. The patients were lying in one of five positions according to the respective positioning concept for two hours.

The researchers found that compared with before the intervention there were no significant changes in heart rate, breathing frequency, and blood pressure after the intervention in either group (P ≤ 0.01).

"Positioning does not influence heart rate, breathing frequency, and blood pressure when patients are lying for a clinically feasible length of two hours," the authors write. "This study shows that nurses can apply both positioning concepts according to their patients' preferences or to address problems like pressure sore prevention. There is no risk of influencing basic vital parameters."

One author is a member of LiN-Arge, an association which promotes the LiN-concept.

Abstract
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