ED Nursing Archives – September 1, 2009
September 1, 2009
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Don't let dangerous drug errors happen for inpatients being held
When patients are held in the ED for hours waiting for an inpatient bed, you need to give medications normally not used in the ED, at regular intervals, and be certain that floor nurses know what was given and when. Is this the "perfect storm" for errors? -
Suspected PE patients may be getting needless CTs
Many pulmonary embolism (PE) patients are getting multi-detector CT (MDCT) scans who don't need them, while others need them and don't receive them, according to new research. -
Do these 5 things when drawing blood cultures
The way you draw blood cultures for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients can have a dramatic impact on your patient's outcome, according to Paula M. Neira, RN, JD, CEN, nurse educator for the Department of Emergency Medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. -
Your ED's disaster plan might overlook children
Your ED might have a well-rehearsed, comprehensive disaster plan, but it might be missing one important element: How are you going to address the unique needs of children who will quickly flood your ED during a mass casualty? -
Consider alcohol, sedatives when assessing fall risk
If you are relying solely on the Hendrich Fall Risk Model to identify patients at high risk for falls in your ED, you might be overlooking patients at risk. -
Subarachnoid hemorrhage often misdiagnosed in ED
An ED physician at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, TX, was about to give a triptan to a 42-year-old woman with a severe headache and a history of migraines. -
Answer these 3 questions about your H1N1 readiness
ED nurses were confronted with H1N1 in the spring and probably will face it again this fall.