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The prevalence [of obesity] in both adults and children is reaching epidemic proportions and has led to a prediction by CDC that the life expectancy in this country would start declining in the next 20 years. In fact, according to CDC, it has already fallen in a couple of states as reported recently in the news media.
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Shingles vaccine added to CDC list of vaccines for adults 60 and older; CDC recommends Tdap for postpartum women; new study suggests sequential therapy with antibiotics for H. pylori may be more effective than standard therapy; FDA Actions.
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Medications specifically made for adults and given to children put young patients at greater risk for drug errors, according to a Sentinel Event Alert from The Joint Commission. (Editor's note: To access the Alert, go to www.jointcommission.org. Under "Sentinel Event," click on "Sentinel Event Alert," then "Issue 39 April 11, 2008: Preventing pediatric medication errors.")
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Medications given that weren't ordered. Medications ordered, but not given. Drugs given for the wrong condition and incorrect dosages.
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It seems like a no-brainer: When ED nurses perform procedural sedation, patients get pain relief quicker. However, several organizations, including the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, have approached state nursing regulators looking to put a stop to this practice.
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A 30-year-old man complained of chest pain to ED nurses at Cleveland Clinic and reported no history of cardiac disease or hypertension, but he said he was a current smoker.
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Shortness of breath is a common complaint in the ED, but often is misdiagnosed, according to a new study of 592 patients.1 For 185 patients, there was clinical indecision as to the correct diagnosis, and 103 of this group had acutely destabilized heart failure.
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A patient complaining of shortness of breath may "look good," but the history and pulse oximetry reading may tell a different story, warns Angela Westergard, RN, manager of emergency services at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, WI.
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A Hispanic 13-year old girl with abdominal pain is accompanied by her father, who offers to act as a translator. An Asian woman says she has severe pain, but her facial expression and body language appear calm and serene. An African-American woman is experiencing pressure across her chest, but only tells you that she has a feeling of dread.
