Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Comparative Study
Comparing subcutaneous fluid infusion with intravenous fluid infusion in children.
This study examined subcutaneous (SC) infusion as a parenteral alternative for children with mild to moderate illness. The purpose was to compare the difference in infusion start time of parenteral fluid between an initial SC order and an initial intravenous (IV) order. In addition, the number of needlesticks a child received for each method was evaluated. This study also sought to address the following question: If SC fluids were given and an IV attempt was made later, did the administration of SC fluids enhance the success of venous cannulation? ⋯ In a child who is not seriously ill, SC infusions appear to facilitate the initiation of parenteral rehydration. SC infusions minimized the number of needlesticks a child endured. More study is needed to determine if SC fluids enhance success of subsequent venous cannulation.
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Routine monthly monitoring of blood culture (BC) contamination rates detected a spike (>3%) in false-positive BCs drawn in the emergency department. This triggered an ad hoc quality-improvement team to develop and implement a corrective action plan in our 230-bed urban community hospital with 58,000 ED visits annually. ⋯ The ED BC contamination rate spike occurred over a 3-month period during which the emergency department was transitioning into a new facility on the same campus. The total hospital BC contamination rate never rose above the 3% benchmark, which illustrates the importance of tracking ED-specific data.