Medical Questions - This requires FOUR FULL PARAGRAPHS with 300 WORDS FOR EACH r
ID: 122055 • Letter: M
Question
Medical Questions - This requires FOUR FULL PARAGRAPHS with 300 WORDS FOR EACH requirement.
***The research topic is regarding the role of a Surgical First Assistant with 1) assisting with pneumatic tourniquets for patients, and 2) assisting in orthopedic surgery.***
FYI - A surgical first assistant is an integral part of the surgical team. The team works together in the operating room to ensure the patient receives quality care during a surgical procedure. A surgical first assistant works closely with the surgeon to facilitate the procedure and process of surgery.
Instructions:
Provide credible medical sourced information to describe and explain the 1) guidelines 2) benefits provided during surgery 3) complications to be faced and 4) the surgical first assistant's role based on the practice and services they provide in the two research topic areas.
Be sure to include proper references for citations and further reflection.
Explanation / Answer
Surgical First Assistant plays a critical role in operating room. Although in some operations, surgical first assistant perform both first and second assisting tasks, critical operations need a distinct first assistance who must be extremely skilled with high experience and knowledge. In case of safe use of pneumatic tourniquets in perioperative settings, AST has developed Standards of Practice to support healthcare facilities which must be implemented by surgical first assistant.
An important part of surgical team is surgical first assistant. Their preliminary role is to prepare and position the patient for the surgery, to visualize the operating field, assist in providing homeostasis, harvesting surgical grafts. They also perform tasks like closure of incision and helps in wound healing. Surgical First Assistants also provide a role in post operative critical care for patients.
During extremity surgery, in order to maintain a bloodless field and prevent an IV regional anesthetic drug from exiting an extremity, pneumatic tourniquets is utilized. To occlude the blood supply to the operative limb, pressure is applied to the limb by means of tourniquets. Due to incorrect cuff placement, excessive tourniquets pressure, prolonged inflation, improper protection of the skin under the tourniquet may cause nerve, vessel and tissue injuries to the patient which may be temporary or permanent. The most common complication is nerve paralysis and deep-vein thrombosis.
The surgical first assistant's role may be summerized as follows:
Surgical team memebers must have a detailed knowledge of the use of pneumatic tourniquets and for that they should maintain practices of training, inspecting, cleaning the pressure device and cuffs at regular intervals. In order to test the system, pneumatic tourniquets should be slightly pre-inflated or deflated. Surgical first assistant should clean non-disposable cuffs and tubing to prevent patient's skin irritation. Surgical first assistant must also have a knowledge of contraindications for pneumatic tourniquet. They must have a depth in application procedure of tourniquet cuff and should know how to establish pressure in order to prevent patient injury. This is applied for both adults and pediatric patient. Finally, documentation of the use of tourniquet must be included in the patient's OR record.