Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Lack of specific guidelines regarding collection of blood for culture from central venous catheters (CVCs) has led to inconsistencies in policies among hospitals. Currently, no specific professional or regulatory recommendations exist in relation to using, reinfusing, or discarding blood drawn from CVCs before drawing blood for a culture. Repeated wasting of blood may harm immunocompromised pediatric oncology patients. The purpose of this comparative study was to determine whether differences exist between blood cultures obtained from the first 5 mL of blood drawn from a CVC line when compared with the second 5 mL drawn. ⋯ These findings support the accuracy of the specimen that is normally discarded and suggest the need to reconsider its use for blood culture testing.
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Comparative Study
A Comparison of Patient and Nurse Expectations Regarding Nursing Care in the Emergency Department.
Patient satisfaction, an important measurable outcome, allows nurses to assess what can be improved in nursing practice. The purpose of this study is to compare expectations of patients and nurses using 3 nursing care attributes: 1) friendliness, courtesy, and respectfulness; 2) comfort measures; and 3) degree of information sharing. ⋯ The unexpected highly positive patient rating did not identify specific areas for practice improvement; it did provide positive feedback for excellent care, reinforcing good nursing practice.
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Prediabetes is an important public health issue. In 2011, 79 million Americans had prediabetes, and 7 million were undiagnosed. By 2025, the number of persons with prediabetes is projected to increase to 472 million globally. For many, the emergency department may be the only source of medical care or interaction with a health care provider. This makes the emergency department an ideal place to identify individuals with elevated random blood glucose levels, inform them of the elevation, and refer them for follow-up. ⋯ Emergency nurses and providers care for patients with elevated blood glucose levels who may have undiagnosed prediabetes. The finding that only 1 patient with an elevated glucose level was informed and referred for follow-up indicates opportunities to address this population of patients who are being missed. Failing to inform and provide referral minimizes patients' abilities to make relevant lifestyle changes to help prevent or delay progression to type 2 diabetes.