A Study on Body Pressure and Comfort in Lateral Position with the Abduction Pillow

Abduction pillow is used to the patient treated with hip joint surgery in order to protect luxation of operated joint, and to keep the rest of both hip joint in abducent position. This pillow has also a merit to keep abducent position of hip joint in changing of patients to lateral without removal of lower extremities. <br> In this study, body pressure was measured in lateral position with abduction pillow, subjective complaints in this position was evaluated. Correlation between these complaints and the results of psychological test (Y-G and CMI) was also evaluated and the method to reduce of discomfort in this position was investigated. <br> In 70 healthy youths, body pressure of right 12 points (acromion, scapula, arm 7th rib, iliac crest, posterior superior iliac spine, greater trochanter, thigh, head of fibula, sure, lateral malleolus, and calcaneus) was measured in right lateral position with abduction pillow. Similar examination was done in 4 patients received hip joint surgery whose position was contra-lateral of operated hip side. <br> The results were as follows; <br> 1. The pressure of 7 points (acromion, greater trochanter, iliac crest, 7th rib, lateral malleolus, head of fibula and sura) was apparently higher than capillary pressure (32mmHg). <br> 2. Discomfort in this position was reduced by changing to oblique-lateral position. Most comfortable angle in oblique-lateral position was 60 degrees in healty youths and the patients. <br> 3. Even though in oblique-lateral position, the pressure of the posterior superior iliac spine, greater trochanter and scapula was still higher than capillary pressure. <br> 4. Number of subjective complaints of healthy youths was significantly more than that of the patients, and the interval until first complaint was short in the former. <br> 5. Quantity of subjective complaints didn't correlate to the results of psychological test. <br> 6. Main subjective complaint of healthy youths was pressure pain on high body pressure region, namely, the discomfort regions coincided to the region of high body pressure. On the other hand, patient's complaints was not in high body pressure region and their main complaint was fatigue or wound pain. So, nursing care of these patients should be done according to their individual complaints.