Question

You are caring for a female who is 36 weeks pregnant and involved in a car accident. After you fully immobilize her on a long spine board, you would:

(A) carefully tilt the board to the left side 10-15 degrees.
(B) carefully tilt the board to the right side 10-15 degrees.
(C) manually displace the uterus to the right.
(D) allow the patient to roll onto her side.

Answer 1

For a 36-week pregnant woman involved in a car accident and immobilized on a spine board, the board should be tilted to the left side 10-15 degrees to prevent supine hypotensive syndrome and to improve circulation.

Step-by-step explanation:

When caring for a female who is 36 weeks pregnant and involved in a car accident after full immobilization on a long spine board, you would carefully tilt the board to the left side 10-15 degrees. This is to prevent supine hypotensive syndrome, which occurs when the gravid uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, reducing venous return to the heart and leading to decreased cardiac output and hypotension. The left lateral tilt helps to relieve this pressure and improve maternal and fetal circulation.