Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Recent data indicate that patients treated in the emergency department for an ankle sprain receive multiple medications. However, research has not been able to accurately identify all the medications because of study limitations. The primary purpose of this study was to document the type of medication, number of doses, and number of encounters given a prescription at discharge or instructions to take over-the-counter medication. The secondary purpose was to determine if the proportion of encounters given each type of medication varied on the basis of age, sex, race, and year. ⋯ Patients are primarily given an opioid or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in the emergency department. Fewer patients receive a prescription at discharge but are regularly instructed to take over-the-counter medication.
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National debate persists surrounding the expanded use of nurse practitioners in the emergency department. Current understanding of the alignment of nurse practitioner educational preparation and practice parameters in United States emergency departments is inchoate. The objective of this review was to seek evidence to support that nurse practitioner education and training align with current practices in the emergency department. ⋯ This review of the literature was inconclusive, and the review team we was unable to find evidence that supports the alignment of nurse practitioner educational preparation and training with scope of clinical practice in United States emergency departments. Future research should seek to articulate the landscape of nurse practitioner academic preparation for specialty practice in the emergency department and to specifically examine the alignment of educational preparation with scope of practice and impact on clinical outcomes of patients seen in the emergency department.
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An adolescent female classified as unstable with a spontaneous abdominal hemorrhage was transferred to a level 1 pediatric trauma tertiary emergency department. Pertinent medical history included von Willebrand disease type 3, menorrhagia, and obesity. ⋯ The administration of factor products, blood products, interventional radiology, emergent hepatic angiography, and embolization coordination resulted in a successful outcome. After an 18-day intensive hospital course, the patient returned home close to her baseline health status.
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Licensed independent practitioners in emergency clinical practice are tasked with differentiating acute cardiac presentations. Despite its similarity in clinical presentation to acute coronary syndrome, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a unique cardiac disorder characterized by a stress-induced ballooning of the myocardium. ⋯ Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is similar in presentation to other cardiac disorders; therefore, clinicians in emergency settings must be efficient and effective in their diagnosis of this disorder on the basis of its distinct criteria. The current article uses most recent evidence to describe the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and recommended treatment for Takotsubo cardiomyopathy to support licensed independent practitioners in emergency departments in improving patient outcomes and reducing morbidity.