Abstract

The effect of lateral body positions on pulmonary artery pressures and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was studied in a clinical comparative study using eight critically ill patients. Pulmonary artery pressures (systolic, diastolic, and mean) and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure measurements were taken with the patients in three different positions, i.e., supine flat, right lateral, left lateral. Comparison was made between the control data (pressure measurements in the supine flat position) and the pressure measurements in each lateral body position. Mean pressures were lower in the lateral body positions than those in the supine flat position, ranging from 0.1 mm Hg to 3.3 mm Hg lower. F-ratios for all pressure differences in relation to position were not significant at the 0.05 level. It was concluded that for the eight critically ill patients in the study, taking the pulmonary artery pressures and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure measurements in the lateral body positions, utilizing the external reference points as described, resulted in insignificant differences in pressure measurements. No generalization of the findings can be made to other critically ill patients.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Evelyn L. Elwell

Second Advisor

Lavaun W. Sutton

Third Advisor

Burton A. Briggs

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1979

Date (Title Page)

5-1979

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Blood Pressure; Critical Care

Type

Thesis

Page Count

xii; 153

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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