1Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi
2Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
3LNJP Hospital, New Delhi
* Address for correspondence: Jamal Ali Moiz Assistant professor, Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Email:jmoiz@jmi.ac.in Phone No:01126981208
Online published on 1 December, 2011.
After cardiac surgery 90% of patients show basal atelectasis even on first postoperative day. Removal of secretions in the basal lobes may require the use of head-down positioning i.e. 15–45°. But to position the head down or not still continues to be a dilemma for physical therapist treating the patients with cardiac surgery as it is believed to be hemodynamically unstable for these patients. So the purpose of study is to examine hemodynamic effect after head down tilt in valve replacement patients.
30 patients were included in the study on first post operative day. Baseline reading of variables i.e. heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and rate pressure product were taken in supine position. After 15 degrees of Head down tilt all the readings of variables were again taken at 1, 5 and 10 min
Except heart rate there was statistically significant increase in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, respiratory rate, and rate pressure product post head down tilt.
Fifteen degrees of head down tilt for 10 min significantly perturbs the cardiovascular system but no detrimental effect of head down tilt (HDT) was observed on cardiovascular system.
Hemodynamics, valve replacement surgery, head down tilt
