Journal of emergency nursing : JEN : official publication of the Emergency Department Nurses Association
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Review Case Reports
Submandibular Sialolithiasis Mimicking Ludwig's Angina: A Case Report and Brief Clinical Review.
The "double tongue sign" is a characteristic finding in patients with Ludwig's angina, a potentially life-threatening infection due to airway compromise. Management primarily focuses on early airway protection and antibiotic administration. ⋯ Unlike Ludwig's angina, conservative treatment is usually the first-line approach for sialolithiasis. The importance of rapidly recognizing and distinguishing between the 2 conditions is emphasized through effective triage and risk stratification, particularly in rural areas where physicians are not readily available.
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The Balance Eyes Face Arms Speech Time stroke screening tool may have limitations for Spanish-speaking individuals. The purpose of this study is to identify potential screen failure events during evaluation for intervenable acute ischemic stroke events among Spanish-speaking patients. ⋯ Over 1 year, with 796 patients triggered at triage by Balance Eyes Face Arms Speech Time for positive stroke screens, only 13% resulted in an acute ischemic stroke. Spanish-speaking patients were less likely to progress from screening to complete stroke evaluation, but the rate of acute ischemic stroke was not different by language.
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Human trafficking is a heinous crime and violation of human rights affecting between 25 and 27 million adults and children globally each year. Current immigration and refugee policy could exacerbate the human trafficking public health crisis. Health care providers working in emergency department and urgent care settings interact with human trafficking victims and provide life-changing care. Research identifies a significant need for coordinated, consistent, and standardized education on human trafficking. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of online educational training in human trafficking on the knowledge and self-confidence of registered nurses and nurse practitioners working in the emergency department and urgent care settings in New York. ⋯ Results in this study demonstrate the need for increased standardized education regarding HT for frontline health care workers.
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Sexual assault nurse examiners are crucial care providers in cases of sexual assault. However, it is not clear whether sexual assault nurse examiner availability differs throughout the 13 states that comprise the Appalachian region of the United States. Therefore, this cross-sectional analysis identified sexual assault nurse examiner availability in 13 states and determined differences in availability by both county-level Appalachian status and county-level rurality status. ⋯ These data support previous literature on the need for stronger sexual assault nurse examiner programs in rural areas in the United States. Future research should take sexual assault prevalence into account to determine whether local sexual assault nurse examiner access needs, as well as appropriate support for sexual assault nurse examiners, are being met throughout Appalachian states.