Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Review Case Reports
Consideration of Testicular Torsion in Young Males With Abdominal Pain Is Essential: A Case Review.
Testicular torsion is a surgical emergency and requires prompt recognition and treatment. Health care personnel often forget this differential diagnosis in males who present with abdominal pain as their only complaint. ⋯ It is imperative for health care personnel to consider testicular torsion in any male presenting with abdominal pain and to complete a genitourinary examination. The purpose of this case review is to highlight the importance of a genitourinary examination in recognizing testicular torsion.
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Triage is an important process to determine severity of illness and prioritize patient emergencies while also ensuring patient safety. The emergency nurse must use critical thinking and decision-making to identify life-threatening emergencies and improve patient outcomes. However, the addition of risk screenings and quality improvement initiatives has extended the triage process time, which may increase interruptions and opportunities for errors. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to determine emergency nurse perceptions of current triage processes and categorize essential and nonessential triage components. ⋯ This study identified the perceptions of emergency nurses surrounding the urgency of triage components in the emergency department. Emergency nurses perceived some assessments as essential to determining "sick versus not sick," and other triage components were able to be delayed, streamlining the triage process.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Initial Testing of a Web-Based Intervention to Reduce Adolescent Driver Inattention: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of adolescent death. Inattention to the roadway contributes to crash risk. The objective of this study was to deploy an initial study of a web-based intervention (Let's Choose Ourselves) designed to improve adolescent driver attention to the roadway. ⋯ Although there were no significant effects of Let's Choose Ourselves, self-reported risky driving behaviors increased over time. Further investigation of the relationship between driving experience and increasing inattention to the road in adolescents is warranted.
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The PowerFlow implantable apheresis intravenous port is a venous access device for therapeutic apheresis procedures. In this case review article, we identify key similarities and differences between apheresis PowerFlow ports and traditional ports. We also list strategies that emergency departments can implement to aid in correct port identification. ⋯ When a patient with a history of apheresis procedures presents with an implanted port, steps should be taken to ensure correct identification and access.
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Observational Study
The Effect of Catheter Length Placed Into the Vein on Peripheral Ultrasound-Guided Catheter Survival Time: A Prospective Observational Study.
Establishing and maintaining peripheral intravenous access in patients with no visible or palpable veins can be arduous. Intravenous catheters placed with ultrasound do not survive as long as traditionally placed catheters. This study was performed to determine the relationship between the catheter length placed into the lumen of the vein using ultrasound and catheter survival. ⋯ The survival time of ultrasound-guided intravenous access doubled in the present study from 1674 minutes in a previous 2013 study. The results may have been due to clinician expertise and experience with the peripheral ultrasound-guided method and the use of updated equipment.