ED Nursing articles from August 2003

ED Nursing archives from August 2003

Are children in your ED suffering? Stop untreated pain now, guard accreditation.
August 1, 2003... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY According to a new study, pain is undermanaged in very young children who present to the ED with painful conditions such as fractures and burns. * Effective options include EMLA and ELA-Max topical creams,...

Don't overlook mental status changes in elderly.
August 1, 2003... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY You should perform a mental status exam on all elderly patients to avoid overlooking emergent conditions. * If an impairment exists, you must determine whether the change is sudden, so family members or the patient's...

Are you missing patients with pulmonary embolism?
August 1, 2003... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Pulmonary embolism is often misdiagnosed in the ED because symptoms are nonspecific. * Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, cough, sweating, and syncope, and you should consider risk factors such...

Do you give phone advice to patients? Learn the risks.
August 1, 2003... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY To reduce liability risks, don't give medical advice over the phone. * Post a scripted statement at the nurses' station to inform callers of their options. * Warn nurses about the legal risks of giving advice...

Use these tips to make pediatric procedures easier. (Pediatric Corner).
August 1, 2003... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Make pediatric procedures easier by using tips for distraction, bandaging, and positioning. * Reduce pain of intramuscular shots by positioning children so their deltoid muscles are relaxed. * To distract young...

Make eye irrigation less painful for patients. (Tip of the month).(Author Abstract)
August 1, 2003... While performing irrigation to flush the eye after foreign body or chemical irritation, the ophthalmic anesthetic usually gets washed away, and the patient begins to complain about pain of irrigation. Janice C. Taylor, RN, BSN, CEN, an ED...

Curran GM, Sullivan G, Williams K, et al. Emergency department use of persons with comorbid psychiatric and substance abuse disorders.(Author Abstract)
August 1, 2003... Ann Emerg Med 2003; 41:659-667. Patients with both psychiatric disorders and substance abuse are linked to significantly increased use of the ED, says this study from Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and University of Arkansas...

Meldon SW, Mion LC, Palmer RM, et al. A brief risk-stratification tool to predict repeat emergency department visits and hospitalizations in older patients discharged from the emergency department.(Author Abstract)
August 1, 2003... Acad Emerg Med 2003; 10:224-232. Elderly ED patients with two or more risk factors on a triage screening tool are at significantly higher risk for hospitalization, nursing home admission, and subsequent ED use, according to this study from...

Grant MS. The effect of blood-drawing techniques and equipment on the hemolysis of ED laboratory blood samples.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... J Emerg Nurs 2003; 29:116-121. When ED nurses drew blood through intravenous catheters, this resulted in significantly more red blood cell damage than drawing blood with straight needles, says this study from Johns Hopkins University...

CE objectives/questions.(continuing education)
August 1, 2003... After reading this issue of ED Nursing, the CE participant should be able to: * Identify clinical, regulatory, or social issues relating to ED nursing. (See Are children in your ED suffering? Stop untreated pain now, guard accreditation;...