The role of the registered perioperative practitioner (Operating Department Practitioner or Registered Nurse) includes the responsibility for safely positioning patients for surgery. The prone position is in common use for a variety of surgical procedures. The formal term for this surgical position is ventral decubitus (meaning laying face down).
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BeckettA2010Are we doing enough to prevent patient injury caused by positioning for surgery?Journal of Perioperative Practice20(4) 143–7
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CraigK2003Prone positioning made easyBritish Journal of Perioperative Nursing13(12) 522–27
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GillB, HeavnerJ2006Postoperative visual loss associated with spine surgeryEuropean Spine Journal15(4) 479–84
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HaushoferL, BhattacharyyaM, IsiborR, SakkaS2009Does conventional practice prevent occular complications in prone position spinal surgery?Journal of Perioperative Practice19(1)
15.
Health Professions Council (2008a) Standards of proficiency for ODPsLondon, HPC
16.
Health Professions Council (2008b) Standards of conduct performance and ethicsLondon, HPC
17.
HignettS, McAtamneyL2000Rapid entire body assessmentApplied Ergonomics31201–5
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HoganK, HarveyS, ConwayW, DeRosimo J, GrossR2009Superior vena cava compression during posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis.A case report Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (A)91(3) 696–700
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