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Keywords
ambulation, post-surgery
Disciplines
Nursing
Description
Early ambulation post-surgery is considered crucial for post-operative care and has several benefits for patient outcomes. Early ambulation helps to promote blood circulation, reducing the risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms from forming. Patients staying in bed for a prolonged period may decrease lung function, increasing the risk of pneumonia. Patients staying in bed for prolonged periods of time may also cause constipation and ileus caused by immobility, ambulating patients helps to accelerate the digestive system, keeping patients on track for discharge.
Early ambulation, within the first 24 hour post surgical time, is directly correlated shorter hospital stays and early recovery to help the patient return to pre-surgical baseline of ADLs. During the study of Kanejima, Yuji, et al, 2020, they found that the distance walked during the six-minute walking test improved by 52% at the time of discharge with the start of early ambulation with their coronary artery bypass graft patients. Early ambulation aids the return of gastrointestinal function. Often a patient must have a bowel movement prior to discharge, which could lengthen the patient’s hospital stay. Ni, Chunyan, et al, 2018, discovered patient who underwent liver resection and performed early ambulation had quicker return of gastrointestinal function.
Hospital re-admission rates are also affected if ambulation is not encouraged after discharge. Robinson, Thomas N., et al, 2022, followed patients who had returned home after elective surgeries. These patients wore an accelerometer activity tracker to measure steps for the first consecutive 28 days post surgery. They found if patients had a decrease in their steps for two consecutive days had a 90% specificity for hospital re-admission. Early ambulation is not only important to return bowel function, baseline function, and shorten hospital stays, but to also decrease hospital re-admission rates.
Publication Date
5-6-2024
Recommended Citation
McKerley S, Gonzalez R, Bally K. Early ambulation post-surgery on a medical surgical unit. Presented at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital; 2024 May 6-12; Royal Oak, MI.
Comments
Nurses Week at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, MI, May 6-12, 2024.