Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Carotid blowout syndrome is a rare but fatal complication often witnessed secondary to treating patients with head and neck cancer. It occurs when damage and necrosis lead to the carotid artery wall rupture. The symptoms encountered in these patients range from asymptomatic to cardiac arrest. Here, we present 5 cases of carotid blowout syndrome in the emergency department. ⋯ The approach to the carotid blowout syndrome patient includes complex steps that proceed in a multidisciplinary manner, starting from triage until discharge. Emergency nurses play crucial roles at every stage. They should be aware of carotid blowout syndrome when evaluating patients with head and neck cancer presenting with bleeding. When treating these patients, emergency nurses should be ready for airway interventions, bleeding control, and massive transfusion protocol. In this context, the multifaceted approaches made by nurses contribute significantly to carotid blowout syndrome management in the emergency department.
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Back pain is a prevalent condition that affects 1 in 6 Australians at any time, with high associated health care costs. To date, there is limited information relating to symptom severity and recovery trajectory in people with back pain who present to the emergency department for care. A digital care pathway (DCP) can track patient outcomes following presentation with back pain. The primary aim of this protocol is to outline the co-development, implementation, and evaluation of a DCP for back pain patients who present to the emergency department. ⋯ This project has been approved via the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia's National Mutual Acceptance Scheme by St Vincent's Hospital Human Ethics Committee (2022/PID06476), La Trobe University Research Governance (HEC#206/22), and Northern Health Research Governance (NH-2023-372687). We plan to publish the findings in a peer-reviewed journal and present them at conferences.
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Practice Guideline
ENA Clinical Practice Guideline Synopsis: Alternatives to Opioids.