Question

Chapter 17 End Case Study
from Surgical Technology for the Surgical Technologist: A Positive Care Approach, 5th ed.

A 26-year-old female patient was involved in an automobile accident and the air bag deployed, fracturing her nasal septum. She feels fortunate to have escaped serious injury, but is concerned when she is informed that only local anesthetic will be used during the procedure. In preoperative holding, she reports her fears of feeling pain during the case to the CST.

1. What surgical procedure will be performed to repair the patient's fractured septum?
2. 
   
3. What steps will be taken to ensure that the surgical site is properly anesthetized?
4. 
   
5. What medications and supplies will the CST expect the surgeon to use to administer anesthesia?
6. 
   
7. What reassurances can the OR team give the patient to alleviate her fears?

Answer 1

A. Septoplasty is a surgical procedure to straighten the bone and cartilage dividing the space between your two nostrils.

B. 1.Hair removal

2.Preliminary skin preparation

3.Local anaesthesia

   4.Final skin preparation

   5.Antiseptic soap and solutions

C. The anaesthesiologist would be administering drugs( eg Propofol) which will first put you in to a deep sleep, further he may also administer opioids (eg morphine) so that would you would not be having pain during and after surgery. Also add an Inhalational agent (eg Sevoflurane) to keep you in deep sleep (anaesthesia) .in Septoplasty administering muscle relaxants for putting an endotracheal tube into your trachea for administering anaesthesia is one of the safe options for admiministrring anaesthesia.

D. Seven ways to provide excellent patient care are:

1.Let your patient be heard

2.Explain the what and the why

3.Dont tell your patient to relax show them how

4.Do hourly rounding

5 Use humor

6.prepare yourself for stress full situations

7. Be empathetic

Patient also need reassured that Complete pain relief usually occurs after, rather than before resumption of normal activities and that the may return to work before obtaining complete pain relief. Reassurance may help patients, decreasing their stress and anxiety, and thus reducing inappropriate pain behavior and encouraging proactive healthy behavior. It is a first step of physiological treatment.