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Traction

This document defines and discusses traction, including its purposes, principles, types, and nursing management. Traction applies pulling forces to promote bone alignment and reduce pain. There are different types, including skin traction which pulls on the skin, and skeletal traction which pulls directly on bones using pins. Nurses must properly apply and maintain traction to aid healing while preventing complications like skin breakdown.

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Drmirfat Alkashif
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
1K views

Traction

This document defines and discusses traction, including its purposes, principles, types, and nursing management. Traction applies pulling forces to promote bone alignment and reduce pain. There are different types, including skin traction which pulls on the skin, and skeletal traction which pulls directly on bones using pins. Nurses must properly apply and maintain traction to aid healing while preventing complications like skin breakdown.

Uploaded by

Drmirfat Alkashif
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TRACTION

1
Objectives
1. Define Traction.
2. Identify the purposes of Traction.
3. Explain the principles of effective traction.
4. Understand different types of Traction.
5. Discuss the nursing management of skin and
skeletal traction.

2
Traction
• The application of pulling force to promote and
maintain alignment to an injured part of the
body.
• Purposes:
– Reduce muscle spasms and pain,
– Realignment of bone fractures, and
– Correcting or preventing deformities.

3
Traction
• Traction needs to be applied in more than one
direction to achieve the desired line of pull.
• When this is done, one of the lines of pull
counteracts the other.
• These lines of pull
are known as the
vectors of force.

4
Traction
• The type of traction, amount of weight, and
whether traction can be removed for nursing
care must be determined to obtain its
therapeutic effects.
• The effects of traction are evaluated with x-ray
studies, and adjustments are made if necessary.

5
Principles of Effective Traction
• When caring for the patient in traction, the
nurse should follow these additional principles:
1. Traction must be continuous to be effective in
reducing and immobilizing fractures.
2. Skeletal traction is never interrupted.
3. Weights are not removed unless intermittent
traction is prescribed.

6
Principles of Effective Traction
4. Any factor that might reduce the effective pull
must be eliminated.
5. The patient must be in good body alignment in
the center of the bed when traction is applied.
6. Ropes must be unobstructed.
7. Weights must hang freely and not rest on the
bed or floor.
8. Knots in the rope must not touch the foot of
the bed.
7
Types of Traction
1. Skin Traction: Traction may be applied to the
skin.
2. Skeletal Traction: Traction may be applied
directly to the bony skeleton.
3. Manual traction: This is temporary traction
that may be used when applying a cast.

8
Skin Traction

• Skin Traction may be prescribed for short-term


use to stabilize a fractured leg, control muscle
spasms, and immobilize an area before
surgery.
• The pulling force is applied by weights that are
attached to the client with tape, straps, boots,
or cuffs.

9
Types of Skin Traction
• Buck’s extension Traction:
applied to the lower leg.

• The chin halter strap Traction:


used to treat chronic
neck pain.

10
Types of Skin Traction
• Pelvic belt Traction:
used to treat lower back
pain.

11
Skeletal Traction
• Skeletal traction is often used when continuous
traction is desired to immobilize, position, and
align a fracture of the femur, tibia, and cervical
spine. It is used when skin traction.
• Skeletal traction involves passing a metal pin or
wire through the bone (e.g., proximal tibia or
distal femur) under local anesthesia, avoiding
nerves, blood vessels, muscles, tendons, and
joints.
12
Skeletal Traction
• Traction is then applied using ropes and
weights attached to the end of the pin.
• The surgeon applies skeletal traction using
surgical asepsis. A local anesthetic agent is
given at the insertion site.

13
Skeletal Traction
• The Thomas leg splint with a Pearson
attachment is frequently used with skeletal
traction for fractures of the femur.

14
Balanced suspension skeletal traction
Nursing Management of the Patient in
Skin Traction
• Proper application and maintenance of traction.
- Avoid wrinkling of the traction bandage.
• Monitor for complications of skin breakdown,
nerve pressure, and circulatory impairment
- Inspect skin pressure ulcer at least three times
a day and Provides repositioning to alleviate
pressure.
- Assess sensation and movement.
- Assess pulses, color, capillary refill, and
temperature of fingers or toes.
15
Nursing Management of the Patient
in Skeletal Traction
• Maintaining Effective Skeletal Traction
- Always ensure that the weights hang freely
and do not touch the floor.
• Preventing Skin Breakdown.
- To encourage movement without using the
elbows or heel, a trapeze can be suspended
overhead within easy reach of the patient.
- hydrocolloid dressings may also be applied
to bony prominences
Nursing Management of the Patient
in Skeletal Traction
• Monitoring Neurovascular Status
- Evaluates neurovascular status (e.g., color,
temperature, capillary refill, edema,
pulses, ability to move, and sensations) to
the unaffected extremity.
- Encourages the patient to do active
flexion–extension exercises.
Review Question
• Which of the following traction is considered a
skin traction?
1. The Thomas leg splint.
2. Balanced suspension skeletal traction.
3. Pelvic belt traction.
4. Head chin left traction.

B
Review Question
• Which of the following sentences is not correct
regarding skeletal traction?
1. This is temporary traction that may be used
when applying a cast.
2. Weights must hang freely and not rest on
the bed or floor.
3. Skeletal traction is often used when
continuous traction is desired.
4. The surgeon applies skeletal traction using
surgical asepsis.
A
Review Question
• Which of the following traction is considered a
principle of traction?
1. Skeletal traction is interrupted.
2. Weights are removed without prescription.
3. Ropes must be obstructed.
4. The patient must be in good body
alignment

D
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