Nothing is more important to the patient’s outcome than properly performed chest compressions.
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Critical Care / Emergency / Trauma
The complicated case of a retiree with a newly diagnosed lung tumor kicks off our new “Case Study” department.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome has a 15% mortality rate. For one patient, accurate assessment of this rare skin condition led to a full recovery.
When a 2 acuity rating isn’t truly a 2
Stop life-threatening pneumothorax with quick thinking and action.
With quick thinking and immediate action, you can save this patient.
Alert clinicians take immediate steps to eliminate a life threatening epidural hematoma.
Our evolving understanding of how blood loss causes shock is changing trauma resuscitation methods.
A new study finds that ED diversion is associated with increased mortality.
The patient thinks she knows what’s causing her chest pain. Her nurse knows she must rule out myocardial infarction.
What seems like a simple pulled muscle to a shipping clerk turns out to be cauda equina syndrome, a potentially paralyzing injury that warrants immediate surgery.
More than 1 million Americans a year suffer a myocardial infarction (MI). This article tells you how – and how quickly – you need to respond to the…
When a patient begins to vomit bright red blood, a nurse relies on his knowledge of Mallory-Weiss tears-and the adroit interventions of the rapid response team.
For one nurse, taking pictures of preemies develops into an art form.
Three yellow balloons danced through the air, hovering over the finish line after being released by the bomb blast that brought the 2013 Boston Marathon to a catastrophic…
Saving a patient’s life may rest on recognizing which findings are red herrings and which hold the key to the crisis.
ANA brings nurses, experts together to shape practice policy during disasters
A new document created by ANA and other groups delineates emergency care principles for psychiatric patients.
Three-year-old Christy* has been in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) since birth, when she was diagnosed with McCune-Albright syndrome and multiple other conditions that left her…
Do you routinely instill normal saline solution into endotracheal tubes before suctioning? Use only the Glasgow Coma Scale for neurologic assessment? Evidence on these and other sacred cows…
Coffee drinkers are less likely to be hospitalized for cardiac arrhythmias, according to a report presented at the American Heart Association’s 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology…
This technique slowly removes wastes and excess plasma water, helping patients recover from their illness.
Why critically ill patients with acute renal failure need continuous renal replacement therapy.
Dog bites can cause serious or even fatal injuries. Find out how to assess and intervene when your patient has been bitten.
The authors share how they defused horizontal violence in their ED.
Thanks to an alert nurse, an elderly patient avoids respiratory failure during her recovery from hip fracture surgery.
When a dehydrated patient falls into a stupor and her vital signs head south, a rapid response team can help unit nurses stabilize her quickly – and avoid…
Early recognition and action can save a limb.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) kills about 25% of those it strikes. This article explains how deep vein thrombosis (DVT) sets the stage for PE and describes how to assess,…
Pulmonary embolism (PE) kills about 25% of those it strikes. This article explains how deep vein thrombosis (DVT) sets the stage for PE and describes how to assess,…
A patient who collapsed at home arrives at the hospital with a blood glucose level off the charts, plus extreme thirst and polyuria. Think his diagnosis is cut…
When a patient’s O2 Sat falls and subcutaneous neck edema arises, adroit troubleshooting identifies the cause.
Thousands of accidental chemical spills and leaks take place in this country each year. Providing nurses with adequate first-receiver training can help ensure that we can care for…
The president of the Emergency Nurses Association tells why she’s proud to be an emergency nurse.
What happens when there is no room in the ICU for an ED patient?
Tim Waters, age 28, is admitted to a burn intensive care unit for treatment after a natural gas explosion in his home causes deep partial- and full-thickness burns…
Rapid response isn’t just for staff. More hospitals are allowing, even encouraging, patients and their families to make the call for help.
When the family wants to be with the patient, this advice will help you guide the conversation and manage the situation.
Effective communication enables nurses and physicians to negotiate a collaborative decision that honors the family’s wishes.
Without effective treatment, more than 40% of frostbite victims require digital amputation. Can Jonathan’s toes be saved?
The elevator’s walls were covered in bronze and silver raised metal squares that gave the appearance of a magic eye puzzle and smelled of the stainless steel cleaner…
Recently I had the opportunity to provide nursing services after an earthquake disaster in the Caribbean. In this article, I share my insights gained from that trip, service…
A staff nurse gives his perspective on this important report.
I have been a critical care nurse since 2008. In our unit, patients have call lights, and of course, patients and families want them answered immediately. My practice…
When excessive blood loss during delivery threatens a mother’s life, quick assessment, effective interventions, and expert aid from the rapid response team maneuver her postpartum course back onto…
A study in JAMA found that patients with chronic diseases who are admitted to the hospital are at increased risk for unintentional discontinuation of their medications. The problem…
Stroke signs and symptoms vary with the affected blood vessel. Here’s what you need to know when assessing suspected stroke victims.
More than 500,000 people die in American intensive care units (ICUs) every year. And many of the deaths occur after the patient or family makes the difficult decision…
Learn how this tool helped an ICU analyze and correct flaws in its patient-education process
The author explains not the Newborn Scale of Sepsis she developed helps nurses quantify the clinical signs and laboratory markers of severe bacterial infection.
Create a protocol for this lifesaving intervention at your facility.
Should patients receive neuromuscular blockers while mechanical ventilation is withdrawn?
Oversight not needed As a recent graduate of a nurse practitioner (NP) program, I appreciated your article “Retail-based clinics: New option for nurses” in the March issue. You…
Patients with stable chronic heart failure may suddenly start decompensating. Do you know how to recognize this condition and help avert organ failure?
Once treated only in high-acuity settings, patients with chest tubes now receive care in inpatient medical-surgical floors, outpatient procedural areas (such as interventional radiology), and other settings. More…
A type of dialysis, MARS removes toxins and replaces lost liver functions.
Note: This article was written before Kenneth graduated from nursing school. My first experience in an emergency department (ED) setting happened last week at Frankfort Regional Medical Center…
Creating a critical-care resource nurse role has helped one hospital ensure that critically ill patients get the same level of care no matter where they’re admitted.
Pharmacomechanical thrombectomy removes dangerous clots to restore healthy function in hours.
Nurses from Montgomery Regional Hospital describe their role in treating patients from the Virginia Tech disaster.
A patient complains of bloating, abdominal tenderness, and constipation. Nothing unusual? Maybe. But if you’re too quick to dismiss these symptoms, you could be overlooking a serious condition called…
A thoroughly rational approach to the most frightening of seizures.
Standard of care in the ICU – or object of overuse, abuse, and misuse? The authors explain why they believe PA catheter use may harm more critically ill…
Despite recent gains in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension, a cure is a long way off. Diagnosis and therapy can be tricky, and prognosis remains poor. Still, there are…
Suspect polymyalgia in patients who continue to decline after treatment for pericardial effusion.
Patients with traumatic brain injuries can suffer from this syndrome for months or even years after injury.
ICU stays can cause physical and cognitive problems for years after discharge. Find out how to improve patient outcomes.
Our Editor-in-Chief tells the story of her experience as a patient.
A recent stroke, a history of hypertension and renal disease, and a sudden surge in blood pressure alert caregivers to a patient’s hypertensive urgency.
Avoid multiple organ failure with early monitoring and early intervention.
Rodney, age 47, was admitted to the hospital 2 days ago with rib and femur fractures and facial contusions. He appears well nourished and well groomed.
I.V. fluids should help a dehydrated patient, but for one with a history of atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease, they could contribute to pulmonary edema. For Grace…
What is the Emergency Nurses Association? The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), an ANA organizational affiliate, is devoted to safe practice and safe care in emergency nursing. It was…
Which of the following does not help address issues related to post-intensive care syndrome? a. Diaries kept jointly by family, ICU staff, and physicians b. Post-ICU clinics for…
Follow the signs and symptoms to this unusual source of life-threatening bleeding.
Four in 10 victims die immediately. For those who make it to the ED alive, survival hinges on the healthcare team’s ability to promptly recognize aortic dissection.
For a postoperative laminectomy patient, sudden left-sided weakness and sensation loss warrant a STAT return to the OR.
Saving a patient from sudden death starts with recognizing the dangerous ventricular arrythmia that precedes it.
Children are people with small hearts and big emotions that often come from the people around them, particularly family members. As a pediatric nurse and mother of two…
How one community hospital dealt with the twin problems of a saturated emergency department and ambulance diversions.
Experts say registered nurses who work in hospital emergency departments are at greater risk of violence from patients than nurses in other specialties.
Clifton Jones, an African-American male aged 59, comes to the emergency department (ED) complaining of headache and blurred vision. After the triage nurse measures his blood pressure (BP)…
Learn more about this dangerous disease in children.
While hiking, Paul Sawyer, age 31, is bitten twice on the right hand by a rattlesnake. When he arrives at the emergency department (ED), the team obtains STAT…
Sepsis can show up in any setting. So even if you don’t work in a critical care unit, you need to know how to detect it. This article…
The team scrambles to save a patient with diabetes.
Nurses play a significant role in helping patients to get the sleep they need.
How to get going in this exciting specialty.
The swift response of the healthcare team helps a patient avoid the most devastating effects of a stroke.
Rising intracranial pressure calls for fast action.
When a patient shows signs of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, her survival hinges on the nurse’s expert assessment skills and the clinical team’s swift interventions.
By obtaining a thorough history and conducting a careful assessment, you can help patients avoid this condition.
For a patient with chronic heart failure, failure to take prescribed diuretics triggers a perilous chain of events
The rapid response team works quickly to try to prevent fetal injury.
Adrienne Johnson, age 5, is admitted to the general pediatric unit. She has sickle cell anemia (hemoglobin SS subtype) and recently was discharged after being hospitalized for acute…
A study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine found dramatic increases in children requiring medical intervention in states that decriminalized marijuana, although the overall number of unintentional marijuana…
According to a recent study, from 2005 to 2010, the national number of pedestrians struck and killed by distracted drivers increased from 344 to 500, an almost 50%…
A study in the American Journal of Critical Care found that transferring patients out of the ICU before or later an optimal time window increased mortality. Read more.
Any athlete with concussion symptoms should not be allowed to return to play on the same day, according to the latest consensus statement on sports-related concussion summarized in…
Nursing vigilance helps a patient with chronic obstructive oulmonary disease stave off respiratory failure.
What does SWAT stand for? So Where Are They? Smart, Witty, and Talented? Smiling, Willing, Able, Technical? (more…)
CDC recommends HIV screening for everyone New recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) call for routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening for all patients…
Previous pneumonia vaccination reduces ICU admissions Among adults hospitalized for pneumonia, those who’ve been vaccinated against the disease are less likely than unvaccinated patients to require admission to…
WEB EXCLUSIVE! A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts.
On-line video-based course on emergency preparedness The need for better coordination between governmental agencies and hospitals became apparent after 9/11 and again after Hurricane Katrina. To fill this…
How one rapid response team prevents cardiac arrest and provides other life-saving benefits outside the ICU.
Protect your ARDS patients from danger with perfusion, positioning, protective lung ventilation, protocol weaning, and prevention of complications.
Nurses know best when it comes to care coordination.
As a patient deteriorates, assessment and history findings guide clinicians to the right diagnosis and interventions.
Sleep doesn’t come easily for ICU patients. Many suffer chronic sleep deprivation, which can raise stress levels, depress immune responses, and impair wound healing. To help them sleep, some…
The nurse’s high index of suspicion helps halt a life-threatening emergency.
When a patient’s blood pressure goes stratospheric, the first priority is to check for signs of organ damage.
Move over, Glasgow. There’s a new coma scoring tool in town.
Women are up to 83% more likely to experience repeat abuse by their male partners if a weapon is used in the initial abuse incident, according to study…
Child-abuse cases can be the most difficult ones for nurses to cope with. But with the right knowledge and tools, you can care for abused children more effectively.
In the midst of unprecedented change in health care, hospitals and emergency departments (EDs) are attempting the impossible — increase both patient volume and satisfaction without increasing the…
Learn how one unit implemented their project, including outcomes and how to overcome barriers.
Leah Curtin discusses the effects of whistleblowing on nurses’ lives
Continuous pulse oximetry monitoring immediately alerts clinicians to hypoxemia in unstable critically ill patients, so they can intervene before tissue hyposia sets in. This article is available to…
6 surprising best resuscitation practices
Nothing is more important to the patient’s outcome than properly performed chest compressions.
A catastrophic diagnosis puts nursing care to the test
The complicated case of a retiree with a newly diagnosed lung tumor kicks off our new “Case Study” department.
A close call for a patient with a rare skin reaction
Stevens-Johnson syndrome has a 15% mortality rate. For one patient, accurate assessment of this rare skin condition led to a full recovery.
A new patient-acuity tool promotes equitable nurse-patient assignments
When a 2 acuity rating isn’t truly a 2
Act fast against severe hypoglycemia
With quick thinking and immediate action, you can save this patient.
Act fast when new neurologic deficits arise
Alert clinicians take immediate steps to eliminate a life threatening epidural hematoma.
Acute traumatic coagulopathy: The latest intervention strategies
Our evolving understanding of how blood loss causes shock is changing trauma resuscitation methods.
Ambulance diversions increase mortality
A new study finds that ED diversion is associated with increased mortality.
Anxiety attack or myocardial infarction?
The patient thinks she knows what’s causing her chest pain. Her nurse knows she must rule out myocardial infarction.
Astute assessment prevents paralysis
What seems like a simple pulled muscle to a shipping clerk turns out to be cauda equina syndrome, a potentially paralyzing injury that warrants…
Attacking anterior-wall myocardial infarction in time
More than 1 million Americans a year suffer a myocardial infarction (MI). This article tells you how – and how quickly – you need…
Avoiding complications from an acute GI bleed
When a patient begins to vomit bright red blood, a nurse relies on his knowledge of Mallory-Weiss tears-and the adroit interventions of the rapid…
Baby pictures: Preserving precious moments in the NICU
For one nurse, taking pictures of preemies develops into an art form.
Battlefield nursing at the Boston Marathon
Three yellow balloons danced through the air, hovering over the finish line after being released by the bomb blast that brought the 2013 Boston…
Calming a thyroid storm
Saving a patient’s life may rest on recognizing which findings are red herrings and which hold the key to the crisis.
Care, not chaos
A new document created by ANA and other groups delineates emergency care principles for psychiatric patients.
Case Study: How much is enough?
Three-year-old Christy* has been in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) since birth, when she was diagnosed with McCune-Albright syndrome and multiple other…
Challenging nursing’s sacred cows
Do you routinely instill normal saline solution into endotracheal tubes before suctioning? Use only the Glasgow Coma Scale for neurologic assessment? Evidence on these…
Coffee drinking and arrhythmias
Coffee drinkers are less likely to be hospitalized for cardiac arrhythmias, according to a report presented at the American Heart Association’s 50th Annual Conference…
Continuous renal replacement therapy: Dialysis for critically ill patients
This technique slowly removes wastes and excess plasma water, helping patients recover from their illness.
CRRT spells success against acute renal failure in critically ill patients
Why critically ill patients with acute renal failure need continuous renal replacement therapy.
Dealing with the dangers of dog bites
Dog bites can cause serious or even fatal injuries. Find out how to assess and intervene when your patient has been bitten.
Defeating horizontal violence in the emergency department
The authors share how they defused horizontal violence in their ED.
Derailing disaster after pulmonary aspiration
Thanks to an alert nurse, an elderly patient avoids respiratory failure during her recovery from hip fracture surgery.
Derailing potentially deadly dehydration
When a dehydrated patient falls into a stupor and her vital signs head south, a rapid response team can help unit nurses stabilize her…
Detecting, managing, and preventing pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) kills about 25% of those it strikes. This article explains how deep vein thrombosis (DVT) sets the stage for PE and…
Detecting, managing, and preventing pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism (PE) kills about 25% of those it strikes. This article explains how deep vein thrombosis (DVT) sets the stage for PE and…
Differentiating diabetes complications: What’s your call?
A patient who collapsed at home arrives at the hospital with a blood glucose level off the charts, plus extreme thirst and polyuria. Think…
Dodging a trach tragedy
When a patient’s O2 Sat falls and subcutaneous neck edema arises, adroit troubleshooting identifies the cause.
During an emergency: Be safe!
Thousands of accidental chemical spills and leaks take place in this country each year. Providing nurses with adequate first-receiver training can help ensure that…
Emergency nursing: A specialty unlike any other
The president of the Emergency Nurses Association tells why she’s proud to be an emergency nurse.
Ethics for nurses in everyday practice: Insubordination in the ICU?
What happens when there is no room in the ICU for an ED patient?
Excessive opioids lead to a close call for a burn patient
Tim Waters, age 28, is admitted to a burn intensive care unit for treatment after a natural gas explosion in his home causes deep…
Family initiated rapid response team
Rapid response isn’t just for staff. More hospitals are allowing, even encouraging, patients and their families to make the call for help.
Family presence during resuscitation: The in’s and out’s
When the family wants to be with the patient, this advice will help you guide the conversation and manage the situation.
Family presence during resuscitation: Who decides?
Effective communication enables nurses and physicians to negotiate a collaborative decision that honors the family’s wishes.
Fending off disaster for a frostbite victim
Without effective treatment, more than 40% of frostbite victims require digital amputation. Can Jonathan’s toes be saved?
From our readers: My first code—A retrospective report of a premature promotion and a crisis situation
The elevator’s walls were covered in bronze and silver raised metal squares that gave the appearance of a magic eye puzzle and smelled of…
From our readers. . . Is disaster relief nursing for you?
Recently I had the opportunity to provide nursing services after an earthquake disaster in the Caribbean. In this article, I share my insights gained…
From our readers…A staff nurse perspective on the IOM Future of Nursing Report
A staff nurse gives his perspective on this important report.
From our readers…How my bad experiences with call lights formed my nursing practice
I have been a critical care nurse since 2008. In our unit, patients have call lights, and of course, patients and families want them…
Halting postpartum hemorrhage
When excessive blood loss during delivery threatens a mother’s life, quick assessment, effective interventions, and expert aid from the rapid response team maneuver her…
Hospital patients with chronic diseases at risk for unintentional stoppage of medications
A study in JAMA found that patients with chronic diseases who are admitted to the hospital are at increased risk for unintentional discontinuation of…
Identify the vessel, recognize the stroke
Stroke signs and symptoms vary with the affected blood vessel. Here’s what you need to know when assessing suspected stroke victims.
Improving palliative care and communication in the ICU
More than 500,000 people die in American intensive care units (ICUs) every year. And many of the deaths occur after the patient or family…
Improving patient education with Health Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Learn how this tool helped an ICU analyze and correct flaws in its patient-education process
Infants in peril: Assessing sepsis in newborns
The author explains not the Newborn Scale of Sepsis she developed helps nurses quantify the clinical signs and laboratory markers of severe bacterial infection.
Keeping cardiac arrest patients alive with therapeutic hypothermia
Create a protocol for this lifesaving intervention at your facility.
Last Breath: The ethics of pharmacologic paralysis
Should patients receive neuromuscular blockers while mechanical ventilation is withdrawn?
Letters to the Editor – July 2007
Oversight not needed As a recent graduate of a nurse practitioner (NP) program, I appreciated your article “Retail-based clinics: New option for nurses” in…
Managing acute decompensated heart failure
Patients with stable chronic heart failure may suddenly start decompensating. Do you know how to recognize this condition and help avert organ failure?
Managing chest tubes: Air leaks and unplanned tube removal
Once treated only in high-acuity settings, patients with chest tubes now receive care in inpatient medical-surgical floors, outpatient procedural areas (such as interventional radiology),…
MARS®: The new frontier in treating acute liver failure
A type of dialysis, MARS removes toxins and replaces lost liver functions.
My First Day in the ED
Note: This article was written before Kenneth graduated from nursing school. My first experience in an emergency department (ED) setting happened last week at…
Never fear—the critical-care resource nurse is here
Creating a critical-care resource nurse role has helped one hospital ensure that critically ill patients get the same level of care no matter where…
New minimally invasive technique treats acute DVT
Pharmacomechanical thrombectomy removes dangerous clots to restore healthy function in hours.
Nurses respond to the Virginia Tech disaster
Nurses from Montgomery Regional Hospital describe their role in treating patients from the Virginia Tech disaster.
Ogilvie’s syndrome: No ordinary constipation
A patient complains of bloating, abdominal tenderness, and constipation. Nothing unusual? Maybe. But if you’re too quick to dismiss these symptoms, you could be overlooking…
Overcoming the fear of tonic-clonic seizures
A thoroughly rational approach to the most frightening of seizures.
PA catheter controversy
Standard of care in the ICU – or object of overuse, abuse, and misuse? The authors explain why they believe PA catheter use may…
Persevering against pediatric pulmonary hypertension
Despite recent gains in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension, a cure is a long way off. Diagnosis and therapy can be tricky, and prognosis remains…
Polymyalgia rheumatica: A possible cause of pericardial effusion
Suspect polymyalgia in patients who continue to decline after treatment for pericardial effusion.
Post-concussive syndrome: What patients and providers need to know
Patients with traumatic brain injuries can suffer from this syndrome for months or even years after injury.
Post-intensive care syndrome: What it is and how to help prevent it
ICU stays can cause physical and cognitive problems for years after discharge. Find out how to improve patient outcomes.
Preventing organ damage from hypertensive crisis
A recent stroke, a history of hypertension and renal disease, and a sudden surge in blood pressure alert caregivers to a patient’s hypertensive urgency.
Preventing the high-pressure complications of abdominal compartment syndrome
Avoid multiple organ failure with early monitoring and early intervention.
Psychiatric emergencies in med-surg patients: Are you prepared?
Rodney, age 47, was admitted to the hospital 2 days ago with rib and femur fractures and facial contusions. He appears well nourished and…
Putting the breaks on pulmonary edema
I.V. fluids should help a dehydrated patient, but for one with a history of atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease, they could contribute to…
Q&A with David Westman, Executive Director of the Emergency Nurses Association
What is the Emergency Nurses Association? The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), an ANA organizational affiliate, is devoted to safe practice and safe care in…
Quiz time
Which of the following does not help address issues related to post-intensive care syndrome? a. Diaries kept jointly by family, ICU staff, and physicians…
Recognizing a ruptured right bronchial artery
Follow the signs and symptoms to this unusual source of life-threatening bleeding.
Recognizing aortic dissection: A race against time
Four in 10 victims die immediately. For those who make it to the ED alive, survival hinges on the healthcare team’s ability to promptly…
Recognizing spinal cord compression
For a postoperative laminectomy patient, sudden left-sided weakness and sensation loss warrant a STAT return to the OR.
Recognizing ventricular arrhythmias and preventing sudden cardiac death
Saving a patient from sudden death starts with recognizing the dangerous ventricular arrythmia that precedes it.
Recovery lessons from the Sandy Hook trauma
Children are people with small hearts and big emotions that often come from the people around them, particularly family members. As a pediatric nurse…
Reducing ambulance diversions without compromising care
How one community hospital dealt with the twin problems of a saturated emergency department and ambulance diversions.
Researchers Explore Ways to Curb ED Violence
Experts say registered nurses who work in hospital emergency departments are at greater risk of violence from patients than nurses in other specialties.
Responding to a hypertensive crisis
Clifton Jones, an African-American male aged 59, comes to the emergency department (ED) complaining of headache and blurred vision. After the triage nurse measures…
Saving a snakebite victim
While hiking, Paul Sawyer, age 31, is bitten twice on the right hand by a rattlesnake. When he arrives at the emergency department (ED),…
Sepsis signposts: Can you spot them?
Sepsis can show up in any setting. So even if you don’t work in a critical care unit, you need to know how to…
Speeding to save a stroke victim
The swift response of the healthcare team helps a patient avoid the most devastating effects of a stroke.
Stemming a lethal immunologic response
When a patient shows signs of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, her survival hinges on the nurse’s expert assessment skills and the clinical team’s swift…
Stemming the rising tide of acute kidney injury
By obtaining a thorough history and conducting a careful assessment, you can help patients avoid this condition.
Stopping a downward spiral
For a patient with chronic heart failure, failure to take prescribed diuretics triggers a perilous chain of events
Stopping a seizure in a pregnant patient
The rapid response team works quickly to try to prevent fetal injury.
Stroke in a child with sickle cell anemia
Adrienne Johnson, age 5, is admitted to the general pediatric unit. She has sickle cell anemia (hemoglobin SS subtype) and recently was discharged after…
Study: Decriminalization of marijuana increases pediatric ED admissions
A study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine found dramatic increases in children requiring medical intervention in states that decriminalized marijuana, although the overall…
Study: Distracted driving more lethal
According to a recent study, from 2005 to 2010, the national number of pedestrians struck and killed by distracted drivers increased from 344 to…
Study: ICU transfer timing affects mortality
A study in the American Journal of Critical Care found that transferring patients out of the ICU before or later an optimal time window…
Study: No same-day play for athletes with concussion symptoms
Any athlete with concussion symptoms should not be allowed to return to play on the same day, according to the latest consensus statement on…
Suppressing a COPD flare-up
Nursing vigilance helps a patient with chronic obstructive oulmonary disease stave off respiratory failure.
SWAT nursing: A unique specialty
What does SWAT stand for? So Where Are They? Smart, Witty, and Talented? Smiling, Willing, Able, Technical? (more…)
Take Note – December 2006
CDC recommends HIV screening for everyone New recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) call for routine human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)…
Take Note – December 2007
Previous pneumonia vaccination reduces ICU admissions Among adults hospitalized for pneumonia, those who’ve been vaccinated against the disease are less likely than unvaccinated patients…
Take Note – February 2009
WEB EXCLUSIVE! A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts.
Take Note – July 2007
On-line video-based course on emergency preparedness The need for better coordination between governmental agencies and hospitals became apparent after 9/11 and again after Hurricane…
Taking the ICU to the Patient
How one rapid response team prevents cardiac arrest and provides other life-saving benefits outside the ICU.
The five P’s spell positive outcomes for ARDS patients
Protect your ARDS patients from danger with perfusion, positioning, protective lung ventilation, protocol weaning, and prevention of complications.
Thwarting a pneumothorax
As a patient deteriorates, assessment and history findings guide clinicians to the right diagnosis and interventions.
To sleep, perchance to heal
Sleep doesn’t come easily for ICU patients. Many suffer chronic sleep deprivation, which can raise stress levels, depress immune responses, and impair wound healing. To…
Touch and go for a patient with a pneumothorax
The nurse’s high index of suspicion helps halt a life-threatening emergency.
Turning the tide in a hypertensive emergency
When a patient’s blood pressure goes stratospheric, the first priority is to check for signs of organ damage.
Using the FOUR Score scale to assess comatose patients
Move over, Glasgow. There’s a new coma scoring tool in town.
Weapon use predicts subsequent abuse incidents
Women are up to 83% more likely to experience repeat abuse by their male partners if a weapon is used in the initial abuse…
What every nurse needs to know about the clinical aspects of child abuse
Child-abuse cases can be the most difficult ones for nurses to cope with. But with the right knowledge and tools, you can care for…
What works: An ED goes vertical to improve patient flow and satisfaction
In the midst of unprecedented change in health care, hospitals and emergency departments (EDs) are attempting the impossible — increase both patient volume and…
What Works: Improving documentation of restraints in the neuro ICU
Learn how one unit implemented their project, including outcomes and how to overcome barriers.
When nurses speak up, they pay a price
Leah Curtin discusses the effects of whistleblowing on nurses’ lives
Why continuous pulse oximetry monitoring is a must in critical care
Continuous pulse oximetry monitoring immediately alerts clinicians to hypoxemia in unstable critically ill patients, so they can intervene before tissue hyposia sets in. This…
Poll
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