ABSTRACT
Potential complications of prone positioning include hemodynamic instability, vena caval compression, decreased functional residual capacity, peripheral nerve injury, joint dislocation, corneal damage, decubiti of the face and chest, accidental extubation or central venous or arterial line removal, endotracheal tube obstruction by mucus, and aspiration of enteral nutrition formulas. A specific risk for cardiac surgery patients related to prone positioning is delay in emergency reopening of the sternotomy if required for hemodynamic instability.
