Which intervention is commonly used to reduce venous stasis in immobilized patients?

• A. Leg and Foot Exercises
• B. Deep Breathing Exercises
• C. Daily Antibiotics
• D. Airway Suctioning

Answer: (A)

Promoting venous return from the legs is essential for immobilized patients to prevent venous stasis. When movement is limited, the calf and leg muscles don’t squeeze the deep veins, so blood pools and clotting risk rises. Gentle leg and foot exercises—like ankle pumps, flexing and extending the feet, and alternating leg/foot movements—activate the muscle pump, push blood upward toward the heart, and keep venous flow moving. This simple, safe intervention can be done at the bedside and doesn’t require equipment, making it a practical primary measure to reduce stasis and DVT risk.

Deep breathing exercises mainly improve lung expansion and prevent atelectasis, not venous return from the legs. Daily antibiotics don’t affect venous flow, and airway suctioning targets airway clearance, not blood circulation in the legs.