What does an abduction pillow do?

What does an abduction pillow do?

• A. It keeps the resident's lower legs and hips immobilized.
• B. It keeps the resident's hand in a neutral position.
• C. It keeps the weight of blankets off the resident's toes.
• D. It keeps the resident positioned upright in a geri-chair.

Answer: (A)

An abduction pillow is used to keep the legs and hips in an abducted, or apart, position. This helps maintain proper hip alignment and prevents dislocation after hip surgery by stopping the legs from moving toward the midline or rotating inward. Placed between the knees (and sometimes the ankles), it limits movement of the hips and lower legs to protect the surgical site. The other options describe goals that don’t involve maintaining hip abduction: neutral hand positioning, lifting blankets off the toes, or keeping someone upright in a chair.

An abduction pillow is used to keep the legs and hips in an abducted, or apart, position. This helps maintain proper hip alignment and prevents dislocation after hip surgery by stopping the legs from moving toward the midline or rotating inward. Placed between the knees (and sometimes the ankles), it limits movement of the hips and lower legs to protect the surgical site. The other options describe goals that don’t involve maintaining hip abduction: neutral hand positioning, lifting blankets off the toes, or keeping someone upright in a chair.