Mobility and Activity Restriction Following Burn Operations - Guidelines for
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- Unless activity will cause mechanical disruption or shearing of newly placed skin grafts, patients should be encouraged to get out of bed and participate in physical and occupational therapy activities.
- The operating surgical team will complete a checklist of activity restrictions.
- Unless specified otherwise by the operating surgical team, patients should get out of bed by POD#1 and have bathroom privileges. Ambulation should be encouraged for pulmonary toilet and to reduce deep venous thrombosis.
- Unless specified otherwise by the operating surgical team due to concern about endangering fresh grafts, patients with fresh grafts on lower extremity sites with weight-bearing restrictions will get out of bed and into a chair with Nursing or Physical Therapy assistance starting POD#1. Extremities should remain in post-operative splints and be kept elevated while the patient is seated.
- Following the takedown of the initial post-operative dressing, the surgical team will assess the graft sites to determine if physical activity can be increased. Changes in patient activity orders will be documented using the standard list of activity restrictions.
