Impaired Physical Mobility; Self-Care Deficit
Preventing Orthostatic Hypotension
Clients with cervical cord injuries are especially at high risk for orthostatic (postural) hypotension. If the client moves from a lying to a sitting or a standing position quickly, he may experience hypotension which could result in dizziness and falls because of autonomic innervation in which blood vessels do not respond quickly enough to push blood up to the brain. To help prevent this, the nurse instructs the client to move slowly. Thigh high embolism stockings also help.
Promoting Self-Care
The most important thing is to set realistic goals. The nurse collaborates with PT and OT to do this and maximize self-care.