Pain Scale - "Zero to Ten"...!

In this business of ER/EMS/Healthcare, we have been tasked with an attempt to objectify a patient's "pain".  Apparently many bean-counters and doctoral candidates have done research on how to do this, and as such the "Zero to Ten" scale was born.

Now most of you reading this are undoubtedly of the ER/EMS genre' and are all too familiar with this "scale".  Our instructors, mentors, preceptors, managers, educators (ad nauseum); pound it into us to use this scale.  It's pretty easy for them to say that because on paper it looks good, but as most of you, my readers know, it is haphazard at best to apply effectively...  Oh, wait, let me also throw in what they told us in feel-good-nursing-school, "pain is whatever your patient says it is".   So, we are asked to unquestioningly document "whatever" the patient says about their pain.

By itself, this is not too bad, however, it is when the patient is savvy to this whole pain scale thing that they begin to manipulate it to suit their own needs and wants.  We are left to unquestioningly just "write it down" with no practical attempt to help the patient understand what we are trying to measure.

So we write what the patient says, then we spend the next 5-10 minutes charting all those "little things" that we observe about the patient's behaviors - those things that seem to make the patient's self-assessment inconsistent at best....

"patient talking/texting/IM'ing on cell phone..."

"patient laughing, joking with friends..."

"patient walks to room with steady, coordinated gait..."

"patient smiling..."

"patient resting (sleeping) on stretcher spooning with boyfriend...!"

...and on and on

Sometimes we go further to note more objective findings such as the vital signs:

-reported pain score "10"

-Pulse rate: 56....???

However, in an attempt to further quantify this pain scale, and maybe to help the patient understand what we're looking for, I came across this table (see below) which strives to put some defining characteristics to the different pain levels....

Comparative Pain Scale
	0	No pain. Feeling perfectly normal.
Minor Does not interfere with most activities. Able to adapt to pain psychologically and with medication or devices such as cushions.	1 Very Mild	Very light barely noticable pain, like a mosquito bite or a poison ivy itch.
	2 Discomforting	Minor pain, like lightly pinching the fold of skin between the thumb and first finger with the other hand, using the fingernails.
	3 Tolerable	Very noticable pain, like an accidental cut, a blow to the nose causing a bloody nose, or a doctor giving you an injection.
Moderate Interferes with many activities. Requires lifestyle changes but patient remains independent. Unable to adapt to pain.	4 Distressing	Strong, deep pain, like an average toothache, the initial pain from a bee sting, or minor trauma to part of the body, such as stubbing your toe real hard
	5 Very Distressing	Strong, deep, piercing pain, such as a sprained ankle when you stand on it wrong, or mild back pain. Not only do you notice the pain all the time, you are now so preoccupied with managing it that you normal lifestyle is curtailed.
	6 Intense	Strong, deep, piercing pain so strong it seems to partially dominate your senses, causing you to think somewhat unclearly. Comparable to a bad non-migriane headache combined with several bee stings, or a bad back pain.
Severe Unable to engage in normal activities. Patient is disabled and unable to function independently.	7 Very Intense	Same as 6 except the pain completely dominates your senses, causing you to think unclearly about half the time. Comparable to an average migraine headache.
	8 Utterly Horrible	Pain so intense you can no longer think clearly at all.. Comparable to childbirth or a real bad migraine headache.
	9 Excruciating Unbearable	Pain so intense you cannot tolerate it and demand pain killers or surgery, no matter what the side effects or risk. Comparable to throat cancer.
	10 Unimaginable Unspeakable	Pain so intense you will go unconscious shortly. Most people have never experienced this level of pain. Those who have suffered a severe accident, such as a crushed hand, and lost consciousness as a result of the pain and not blood loss, have experienced level 10.

So, now, here's your clinical story to illustrate the use of this scale...

Dr: "Between zero, being no pain and 10 being the worst you can imagine, how would you rate your pain?"

Pt: (calmly)..."a 10"....

Dr: "Okay, at 10 would be you getting hit in the face with a 15 pound sledgehammer, and unconscious from the pain, not the head injury.  Most people have never and will never experience this pain level ~ and if they do, will undoubtedly be unconscious..."

Pt: (again calmly)..."okay, 9-and-a-half..."

CAMTS Accreditation - Blessing or Curse?

NOTE: This is my commentary/response to the original article which appears at:

VerticleOnline and published Oct 21, 2009

MY COMMENTARY:

CAMTS accreditation has become double edged sword.

On one hand your HEMS program may not be able to live without it (either by regulatory requirement of your state, OR by lost revenue via third party insurers who require accreditation), but on the other it may be hard to live WITH it too! -recurring site visits, 3 year applications for reverification, continually updating standards etc.

One of the big problems with CAMTS accreditation is that in some circles it is legislatively mandated (see the 8 states that require it) and by definition, accreditation conflicts with "mandatory" -- so which is it? Mandatory or voluntary???

Personally I believe the original intent of CAMTS was good for the following reasons:

1) It's not governmental: for those of us who dislike big brother running everything. (This is a HUGE plus in my book)

2) Technically, it's still voluntary (debatable)

3) Nursing/carregivers: involvement with heavy focus on requirements for the medical crews, in my opinion, is good. I believe the industry is moving towards recognizing the medical crews as AIRCREWS. I think there will be needed discussion when/if this happens (I hope it does) because then there is more FAA oversight in that aspect.

4) CAMTS uses widespread representation. Argue if you like about how the pilots are not as strongly represented, but there are a few other "non-specific" seats on the CAMTS board of directors which could be occupied by qualified pilots as well.

---->NOTE: if the HEMS pilots do not feel they are represented adequately by CAMTS, then they should lobby their professional organizations to develop some type of accreditation program as well, OR, get their representative body to work more collaboratively and intertwined with CAMTS

5) In my personal opinion, in what I have read and researched over the years, I feel CAMTS strives to stay "ahead of the curve" in as much as incorporating or leaning towards industry leading "best practices" as well as those practices which may be recommendations by federal investigative/review committees. I have always felt that CAMTS was dynamic and responsive to the HEMS community.

I realize there are more problems and concerns with CAMTS which I have not listed here; I will look for part two of this article to help stimulate more discussion.

My bottom line however, is directed towards the skeptics and nay-sayers.. and I say to those that are (1) unhappy, (2) dis-enfranchised or (3) mis-represented by CAMTS - "sorry", CAMTS has ONLY become so influential and powerful by the VOLUNTARY submission to it's program requirements and accreditation processes by programs across the US... The more programs that seek the CAMTS "Merit Badge", give the CAMTS machine more influence, power and presence....

National Emergency Nurses Week Oct 11-17, 2009

Emergency Nurses "Prepared for the Unexpected"

Emergency nurses across the US will be celebrating Emergency Nurses Week, Oct. 11-17, and Emergency Nurses Day on Oct. 14. This year’s theme is "Prepared for the Unexpected," a perfect theme as every day brings the unexpected. There is no "usual" or "typical" day in an emergency department.

Emergency patients are just that — emergencies requiring acute, episodic care. We care for patients across the lifespan, with a vast range of problems. It is not uncommon to care for a two-year-old boy with a fever, a 75-year-old woman with a fractured hip and a 22-year-old man involved in a car crash, all in the same hour.

We are frontline health care providers, often a person’s first and only interaction with the health care system. Every day, we interact with other disciplines — including physicians, paramedics, respiratory therapists and police officers. We do not work alone, but as part of the health care team, relying on each other’s skill and expertise. Each day, we touch people’s lives, from providing CPR, to explaining the signs of infection to a mother whose child just received stitches for the first time. We are there for our patients and families during happy and sad times — we are also there for each other.

We need to acknowledge the great work done by all our emergency nurses across the US. We are truly a unique specialty, caring for a multitude of diseases and injuries from infancy to adulthood. Every day, we are faced with increased demands, from violent patients, short staffing to overcrowding, but we do our best to provide safe and competent care.

*****
Since 1989, the Emergency Nurses Association has celebrated the second Wednesday in October as Emergency Nurses Day, a day set aside to honor emergency nurses for their commitment to patient care. Starting in 2001, ENA expanded the celebration to devote an entire week to honoring emergency nurses, because it was felt that one day was not enough to recognize all contributions made my emergency nurses.

ENA is the only professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing and emergency care through advocacy, expertise, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA serves as the voice of more than 36,000 members and their patients through research, publications, professional development, injury prevention and patient education.

Primary Care in the ER?

Original article at: http://tinyurl.com/washpost071309 See my points/comments in bold/blue

A Critical Situation For Area Hospitals
Primary-Care Needs Spill Over Into ERs

This title is inaccurate: it implies patients are seeking "primary care" in the ED. This is false. Primary care (pap smears/breast exams, colonoscopies, diabetes managment etc) is not done in the ED, rather it's people who no longer have a PCP coming to the ED for their acute problems that would otherwise have gone to their PCP's office.

By Yamiche Alcindor

Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, July 13, 2009

Hospital emergency departments across the region are overflowing with patients who have been battered by the recession and are increasingly using hospitals as their primary source of health care, according to local and national health officials.

What national officals? This article mentions none.

At the District's Providence Hospital, emergency room visits increased by 13 percent in the past year. In Montgomery County, the number of patients seeking free care at community clinics designed to divert people from emergency rooms rose by 43 percent, many of them referred by hospitals.

The community clinics are not focused on providing ACUTE care, they are there for chronic, preventative and primary care purposes. They provide a different service line than the ED. That 43% increase are the people that have no PCP and are going there for their ongoing, primary medical services.

... A national debate is underway about how to reduce health-care costs and provide medical coverage to everyone. Diverting people from emergency rooms -- which are an inefficient and expensive way of delivering basic health care -- is a central issue, said Larry Gage, president of the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems.

Don't forget dwindling reimbursements for emergency care are also to blame. Trauma funding is often inadequate as well. Lack of on call specialists, lack of qualified attending MD's and Nurses as well. Also patient "boarding" and psychiatric/mental health patient "holds" ....ALL these things are contributing in addition to people merely lacking a primary MD.

"The absolute number of people using emergency rooms has gone up as much as 20 to 30 percent in the last six to eight months due to the recession and people losing their jobs," he said. "The only option in their minds is going to the hospital."

...also, it's the only thing they KNOW. In my personal experience, quite a few of the folks I've had to refer to community clinics or free clinics had no idea they even existed. (Now here's an opportunity for public education!)

Last year, Providence and the D.C. Primary Care Association launched the ED Diversion Project, which places community health workers in waiting areas to help patients obtain primary-care doctors and sign up for Medicaid and Medicare coverage.

Now this is a GREAT idea! However, don't the hospitals have social workers and medicare/medicaid workers already? Can't the ED care team give these people the information to make a phone call the next day or give them directions to these people's offices? Why do the taxpayers (again!) have to fund this "diversion project" when we already have health care workers who can make the referrals?

Zoila Alvarez, who arrived in the United States three years ago from El Salvador, has been a patient at Mary's Center for a year. Before she found the clinic, she sought prenatal care and treatment for depression at hospital emergency rooms, she said.

Interesting, here is a lady (I'll assume a legal immigrant) who comes to the US (no mention of husband or family) to have her baby who "becomes" a US citizen upon birth....

...Albertha Boone, 55, of Southeast Washington, can relate. Her last visit to a primary-care doctor was in 1989, she said, even though she has asthma and high blood pressure and needs to have major knee surgery.

She said she has a monthly income of $1,400: $1,000 from a disability check and $400 from a part-time job as a clerical assistant. After she pays rent -- $800 -- she uses the remaining $600 to pay for utilities and buy groceries. She said that she has Medicare coverage but that it won't pay for regular doctor visits or for the knee surgery a doctor has told her she should have. So when she needs care, she will continue to go to an emergency room for treatment.

WHAT????? Medicare not paying for doctor visits? I don't believe this statement. However, if you tell me that she can't find a PCP who will TAKE medicare, then I can swallow that a bit more. We need more information here because this doesn't make sense to me.

"Moving forward, we need to do more so that people are aware of clinics in their neighborhoods," said Pierre Vigilance, director of the D.C. Department of Health. "We have to make sure that these clinics are available to people when they need them."

I agree, get the word out, run a campaign or a public education incentive. However, I postulate that the root cause of a lot of this (economy aside) from the provider's standpoint is the whole EMTALA (http://tinyurl.com/emtala) issue. Those of you in the "biz" you know what I'm talking about...the whole legislated principle of ED's not "turning" people away as well as ED's doing WAY MORE than they were designed to do beyond providing the legally mandated "Emergency Medical Screening" assessment/exam.

Tasers in the ER...

(This blog refers to a post by "Impactednurse.com" which can be found here)

Dr Donald Dawes, from the University of Louisville, Kentucky, reported that
Tasers were used 27 times at one Minneapolis medical center over a one year
period and found the number of injuries to both patients and medical staff were
reduced with the introduction of Tasers to the hospital.

(For more information on Taser devices: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taser)

It is an interesting sign of the times when we even have to be discussing use of Tasers in the E.D. However, it is a sign of today's times indeed. I can speak from my personal reference including my personal observations and viewings of Taser use in the ED.

A local ED is staffed by at least 2-3 "off duty" local law enforcement officers 24/7, they carry the usual fare of lethal as well as non-lethal force weapons (Tasers). I have seen them 'displayed' to a perp twice and seen them used to drop a pt. twice. I have "heard" them out of eye sight being used 3-4 times.

While not considered "firearms", Tasers do present a new venue of consideration which requires application of standards, codes and interpretation of the law and consequences.

There are even safety claims as to the liability for Taser weapons to cause permanent and or fatal damage. This is an ongoing debate and struggle to get these tools accepted more widely.

However, when I consider all the times I've seen the Taser "deployed", it was situations, which, in my opinion, had it not been deployed, it would have escalated into a situation in which deadly force would have been likely to have been used and/or warranted.

-KMG-365

Taxi vs. Ambulance

Any chance they are "Transformers"????

"Hopelessness" and Facilitation....

Dr Ed Leap, a well respected blogger, and author that I respect, recently posted his blog on "Hopelessness". I read through it and it was quite thought provoking.

The main point I believe Dr Leap was explaining, was that no matter how much logic, observation, rationalization or coercion we use/do - there are just some aspects of human behavior that cannot be adequately explained with the traditional models we, in healthcare, use.

His conclusion was that people will continue self-destructive behaviors, not through any particular rational process, but from a state of hoplelessness; when there is no perceived better alternative, benefit of change or motivation to do same.

In the frame of reference of the people we deal with on a daily basis in the ED setting - I can testify to this; but that is because of what they come to see us for: afflictions of mind, body or psyche.

And yes, as I agree with Dr Leap, we continue to fulfill our moral, societal obligations to "counsel" and advise with learned knowledge, the need for our patients to avert their destructive pathways; and often, until blue in the face.

But let's look for a moment at an underlying stimulus which I propose facilitates this. I believe that our health care system promotes and encourages these behaviors to an extent. And sometimes, the lack of action to prevent such behaviors, can be seen as facilitating. Now I am not a fan of poor grammar, but it does remind me of that FALSE dichotomy statement, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem". But in a sense, this IS true.

Most of you reading this are probably on the patient care side of the fence. We diligently meet our calling to help, heal and restore people to their "optimal" state of wellness. But there has to be an even stronger counter-measure on the other side of the fence to effect prevention as well.

It is an economic reality that treatment costs MORE than prevention. And it is well-known that effective prevention reduces morbidity and mortality. So the obvious question, "why don't we spend more time, money and effort on prevention?" - goes unanswered.

Without prevention or "access" to prevention (note I did not say access to health care) people are forced into a situation where they cannot gain an interface with the health care system until they enter via the "EMTALA-mandated" Ivory doors to the sacred city of "OZ" (The ED). Upon being integrated into that setting the wheels are at work trying to fit a preventable problem into an acutely ill opening - the technology, resources and costs are not designed for this.

However, we see, treat and encourage our patients - they get better and they are dismissed.

Now, the next time this "need" arises again; guess where the learned behavior is going to lead the patient. They know they got better before in the ED, they still have no "healthcare home", and they are still unchanged in their unhealthy lifestyles.

I propose that the problem is multi-faceted.
Until we can:
-Encourage our system to move towards prevention,
-Re-evalute the principles, AND the necessary/contemporary changes to EMTALA,
-Take a broader recognition of the societal themes of self-entitlement, self-indulgence, self-reward and lack of self-accountability....

...We'll be fighting the same battle over and over ad nauseum.
We need thinkers and people committed to speaking up for what is right.
We don't need a government to tell us to "CHANGE", we need ourselves to recognize the need for change, both internally and in society.

-"KMG-365, Clear..."

Emergency Department Overuse - Austin Tx

In a recent article posted in the online version of the Austin American Statesman Newspaper, Ms. Mary Roser (a staff writer) comments on a recent release of information that shows that one ED in Austin Texas log over 2678 patient visits from just nine individual patients. These astounding numbers were released by a nonprofit group in central Texas which provides care for uninsured and low income patients.

The author goes on to discuss some specific numbers in situations which paralleled that of the current state of our EDs nationwide. The problem of ED overcrowding is not new, nor is the problem of overuse of our nations emergency departments.

In her article Ms. Roser reports that between the years 2003 in 2008 there were 9 patients who accounted for 2678 merged department visits in that time. In particular, one of these patients spent 145 days in the ED during the last year alone.

Ms.Roser further discusses in her article, some considerations for possible causes of these apparently excessive uses of the emergency department. From her article it seems that one of the main causes is that these patients have no place else to receive their health care. Which, interestingly, echoes back former Pres. George W. Bush's statement about our nation's health care. Mr. Bush, when asked about the lack of primary health care in America, stated that people do have access to health care through the emergency department.

The article also attempts to explain some things are being done to appropriately manage these recurring patients. One of the doctors interviewed for the article stated that their primary focus is to assess and stabilize any medical emergencies but the problem becomes when they must decide where and how inappropriate discharge plan would be undertaken for the patient. The problem becomes that some patients still don't have access to basic health care needs, and they find that they have nowhere to turn other than emergency departments for their care.

In particular I have seen similar problems firsthand during my times working in the ER. The problem, as Ms. Roser discusses in her article, is not unique nor inherent to any one particular region, community, or facility. That being said, the solution to this ever growing problem is not an easy one to solve. A situation such as this, would require cooperation and collaboration between the health care facility, community organizations, local, state, and federal legislators.

Several readers of this article have left their comments on the newspaper website. I would like to take a few minutes and reply to some of those comments directly on this blog.

One poster (chukalukabus): seems to have the opinion that the overuse of their ED is mostly due to a problem with illegal aliens. As we are talking about a hospital in Austin Texas, I can understand this posters position and concern. It stands to good reason that in this person's region, there are many undocumented illegals residing. These same people, again I would logically assume, do not have a third-party health-insurance, and, are for the most part unfamiliar with public or free community resources for health care needs. I also believe that this poster does not realize that the problem of ED overuse is not a regional one but of national scope. Because it is a bigger problem than just locally, more than likely there are other factors at play here than just illegal aliens using the ED for healthcare.

Another poster (dterbush): remarks that if there were more affordable primary or urgent care type clinics that the emergency departments would not be as affected as much with overuse. This is a good thought. And this may be a potential solution which we are currently watching unfold. There is a growing trend nationwide towards establishing retail health care clinics to meet some primary care needs. Some of the largest venues for these are found in places such as Wal-Mart and the CVS pharmacies. These walk-in clinics, while not a substitute for primary care, are quite capable of treating a large host of maladies which typically bring people to the ED. However, the retail health clinic system, is in its early stages of establishing itself in building its unique niche in the health care industry.

Other posters who have applied to this article have indicated that "Universal Health care" might be the answer as well. We don't know this yet, if it would be beneficial or not. Additionally, as we hear more about universal health care daily, our understanding of just what universal health care is might become different than what we perceive it to be.

I suggest that any solution for this problem is still years away, multifaceted, and will have profound political and social implications to strictly address.


You can refer to the original article here:

I Got My EM training during 'Prime Time'....

In the article "Young Doctors Learn Bad Habits From TV Medical Dramas", in the NATIONAL POST, (Mar 23, 2009) author Tom Blackwell talks about how more and more young physicians are becoming a product of the entertainment industry rather than the medical education establishment.The original article published in the "Journal of Resuscitation" looked at data gathered by a survey in which evaluation of young MDs (YMD) ability to perform endotracheal intubation (ETI) was influenced by television medical dramas.

When YMDs were asked where they "learned" their skills (when they were noted to have performed them incorrectly) some responded by indicating that they saw it "on TV". Further information showed that the most often cited TV medical drama for this was NBC TV's "ER".

Researchers then backtracked to investigate this more and find out just how mis-leading some TV medical dramas are.


The researchers (Dr Brindley and Needham) looked at an entire season of ER episodes. They specifically looked at scenes depicting ETI; and more specifically, ones where they could clearly see the entire procedure to critique it.

Their research showed that 22 observed ETIs that met criteria, had at least one step done incorrectly.

INTERESTING SIDE NOTE:
There were 22 ETIs that met criteria, I can only assume that some did not; but they do not say how many were excluded. A typical North American TV "season" averages from 22-26 episodes. This means that on the average, nearly one person received ETI each episode! Unfortunately, without data from the other seasons of ER, it's hard to compare if this particular season had more or less ETIs than their "season-average" (???)

The researchers went on to explain that "traditionally" topics such as ETI are taught in a lecture-classroom setting first, and then reinforced in the clinical (IE: hands on) setting. So when those YMDs attributed their performance failures, it is interesting to note that they recalled their more influential experience watching ETI to have come from the TV medical dramas.

So why the disparity? Why did some of the YMDs remember their ETI "training" more from the TV rather than their didactic and practical instruction? Is there something different the establishment needs to do to drive home the education and experience? Is there something to be learned from TV medical dramas?

When we look at what is "entertainment" things like: story line, special effects, continuity, contemporary issues, hi-profile actors/actresses and plot intrigue factor into play. If you look at NBC TV's successful ER drama, it is no wonder that it was successful. This was an adrenaline pumping, fast paced, on the seat of your pants show. ER was one of the innovators in using the first-person-continuous-scene filming style. This greatly enhanced the "realism" of the show. As well ER frequently dealt with issues of such impact and significance as: resuscitation, trauma, life-death -- it lends itself easily to a hi-powered drama.

All these factors that go into making ER a great show (as well as a much recognized and rewarded show), make it also form more of an impression on the viewer. You remember, more...You contemplate it more... You analyze and think about it more.

Now back to our traditional model of education; that dry, stuffy, formal lecture hall or classroom. Do you really think the classroom can lend itself to as much as an entertaining-learning experience as prime time TV?

Probably not.

Even if we step forward out of the lecture hall and into the clinical arena, it still fails to compare. The "real world" business of treating patients and learning by hands-on, does not compare to the pulse-pounding world of shows like ER. Although one would argue that once you apply learning to the psycho motor (IE: hands on) phase in the clinical setting, you should get higher reinforcement and retention - but apparently not.

I'm guessing that prime time medical dramas like ER, are just hard acts to follow when it comes to teaching and learning.

In the end, I think the lesson we can learn here is to look at what we (as educators) can do to make our teaching and our student's respective learning experiences more "high powered", engaging and compelling.

With our currently expanding use of life-like simulators, skills labs and technical advances - eventually we will reach a cross-roads where life meets technology. At that point we can start to see how a new "technical-altered-reality" would evolve.

I think there is something that we can take from all this, and see the future of education and how we can apply it to the learner's skill sets.


NEXT UP: Now I'm going to pick a season of ER and do my OWN study - I want to look at of all the ACLS scenarios, how they adhered to the AHA guidelines of the day!!!

"KMG-365, Clear..."

Getting Blood Out of a "turnip"...

So... the coroner comes in with a body. Tells us he needs an order and a requisition for a carboxyhemoglobin level. Apparently there was concern on scene that this deceased had quite a few kerosene heaters running in the house and the concern is for carbon monoxide poisoning.

Well we wrote up the blood gas lab slip and gave it to him (the coroner) with the appropriate specimen labels. I was standing right there, with a little free time on my hands (imagine that- free time in an ER! yikes~!)...and I told my attending MD, "I'll go do it if you're busy" (cool!).

So I went with the coroner and set about to draw this "arterial" sample...!!!
Then I got to thinking....
1) Does it have to be arterial? Isn't the COhb level the same arterial vs. venous?
2) If it has to be arterial, how do you palpate the artery on a corpse?????
...hmmmm

Anyways, after consulting with the respiratory therapist on duty (who I trust) they explain that it really won't matter at all but to try for arterial if possible.

So I set about to do a radial artery stick. First I thought about doing Allen's Test (yeah right), then I proceeded to do it just by "feel" in the same place I've always done it into the radial artery.

Got a good flash in the ABG syringe, but it was a S-L-O-W draw. Usually I'm quite used to this brisk, bright red flow from the artery; you could definitely tell this was different. It took a few seconds, but we got it done and sent it off.

Something you don't get to do every day that's for sure!
http://www.bemetweb.com
"...KMG-365, Clear..."

CEN Practice Questions 2-25-09

(ANSWERS POSTED 3/12/09 - Scroll to bottom of this article for link)
Here's some sample CEN like review questions. Try to answer them and write out a rationale. Try to justify why the answer you choose is correct and why the others are wrong.....

Category: Special Populations
(1) You are discharging your 79 year old female pt who sustained a large skin tear. Which of the following is the best answer regarding patient education for this client?

A) Use pre-printed instruction sheets.
B) Prepare handwritten instruction sheets.
C) Instruct the patient to call their private physician if they
have any questions.
D) Conduct a one-on-one discussion with the patient.

Category: Gastro-intestinal Emergencies
(2) A 36-year-old male is in severe distress due to upper gastrointestinal bleeding. He has been vomiting bright red blood at home for 4 hours. Which of the following interventions is the highest priority?

A) Apply 100% non-rebreather oxygen mask.
B) Initiates IV access and starts a Normal Saline bolus.
C) Inserts nasogastric (NG) tube.
D) Draws blood for a type and cross.

Category: Respiratory Emergencies
(3) The SPO2 of an ED patient suddently drops to 88%. Of the following, what should the RN do first?

A) Put the pulse ox sensor on another finger.
B) Check to see if the auto-blood pressure cuff is inflated.
C) Assess for changes in the patient's mental status.
D) Obtain an arterial blood gas.

Category: Environmental Emergencies
(4) Your patient sustained a near-drowning incident. Which of the following plays the most significant role in their condition?

A) Hypothermia
B) Pneumonia
C) Dysrhythmia
D) Hypoxemia

Category: Professional-Legal Topics
(5) Which of the following legal principles applies to the RN working in the Emergency Department?

A) Duty of care
B) Breach of duty
C) Proximate causation
D) Injury

GOOD LUCK!

CLICK HERE TO CHECK YOUR ANSWERS

Brian Regan - Emergency Room Comedy

Hey all, I just came across two OUTSTANDING comedy videos. Comedian Brian Regan does an excellent job of pointing out some of the funnier aspects of our jobs in the ER. Watch and ENJOY!

Embedded video is courtesey of YouTube.

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Part 1 (approx 2.5 minutes)

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Part 2 (approx 5.5 minutes)

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-KMG-365, Clear...

"Designer" Hospitals

Don't be fooled...hospitals are "competing" for your business.
They want YOU to come to THEM and spend your money (well your insurer's pay-outs more specifically) with THEM and not the competitor.

In an effort to do this, there are many marketing strategies - a hospital that wants to be successful strives to become a "system"; it's gone way beyond the brick and mortar building itself and it extends into many different venues in our community.

In one of the latest trends we see these "Boutique" Hospitals (BH) springing up, or old ones getting "Contempo" facelifts. These BH are adorn with the latest in aesthetically pleasing exterior facades, window designs, landscaped (er sculpted) grounds and picturesque exterior night time illumination (ala' Cideralla's Castle lit up at night at Disney World)....

You enter them and you will feel the "ebb and flow" and the feng shui and the healing air that permeates. The "energy" is filtered, your endorphins are calmed, free-radicals are held at bay...heck, you probably don't need as much pain medicine post-op!

The palm trees, the bonsai trees, the falling water wall, the light airy music fills the hall.
The colors; earthy hues of subtle color tones, dark and quiet - greens, blues, grays; you might even feel so at peace you wonder why you came to this BH in the first place.

Now don't get me wrong, I appreciate a calm, quiet, soothing environment as much as the next person; but the extent to which the BH is going these days seems a little overboard to me. The personalized, individualized and engaging care by the clinical and non-clinical care team is great; maybe even just a little too much for my tastes - I'm a big boy, when I need something, I know how to ask....

So we went to one of these BH this am for the wife'ys thyroid surgery first I noticed a near-empty parking lot! It was nice to be able to park up front and close, but for a minute I thought we were too early and maybe they hadn't opened up yet. Later as I left for errands and drove around the campus, I notice that strategically all the staff and MD's were relegated to parking in the back and out of sight. So for this first impression it was good but again as I said, it looked DEAD (bad choice of words for a hospital) this AM.

Ah, then we come to the foyer to healing... through double glass doors (frameless mind you - so it looks like the doors are merely windows to the outside world) Uh memo to local bird flocks, look out for the doors! Then immediately you are met by a "personal representative" who it seems was expecting us. She takes us by the hand pretty much and leads us to a business clerk who gives a smile and a nod and dispatches us with the escort to the next step. She leads us through the garden er, uh "hallway" of healing all the while giving a running monologue like a tour guide of the amenities and points of interest (just not as funny or slapstick like the 20 somethings who are the "tour guides" on the Disney Jungle Cruise ride...).

So our personal escort ends when we are introduced to the matron who is the "overseer" uh I mean "hostess" over the surgery waiting area. And she too takes her personal interest in us and "guides" us to a quiet corner of the waiting area to await being called back; oh and don't forget the electric-pager-coaster-blinking-thing to let us know when our table is ready, I mean our pre-op room. "Will that be smoking or non tonight?"....

And thus it went, this very personal attention was nice - but again for me a little too much maybe. Im a point-me-in-the-right-direction kind of guy and I'll find my way; but nice nonetheless.

So back to our original point here - we start to see the dramatic lengths hospitals are going to in order to get customers. Yeah we USED to call them patients, but realistically now they ARE CUSTOMERS and you know the "customer is always right".

Personally I have seen these efforts from the inside and out and the strategies/philosophies come wrapped in different missions/mantras: "A healing environment", "An atmosphere of high quality service" etc.... Which is all fine and good, but let's look at some bigger issues:

1) In my observation, one of the LARGEST revenue sources for a hospital is it's elective surgery operations; STRATEGY: Build a nice, new, fancy hospital to have your surgery at. Have some fancy/schmancy gizmos, monitors, equipment and methods so you can have the "latest and greatest" - I mean c'mon, who wouldn't? Latest and greatest must be BETTER for me eh?

2) Again, in my observation, one of the LARGEST expenses for a hospital is it's payroll. So how do they manage this to their economic benefit? Well you do MORE with LESS which either means less staff or lesser-paid staff. How's that for the satisfaction of the employees? Think they are feeling the "healing winds" in the same hospital? Have you checked out the decor in the nurses station and lounge compared to that of the patient rooms?

3) In business they say "first impressions" make "lasting impressions" or something like that. So we see these fancy, picturesque, landscaped buildings that look like hotels popping up. To compete you have to be bigger, taller, do it faster and better - and LOOK GOOD while doing it! YOu sit back and look at these BH and wonder about the millions and millions of dollars financed towards construction or remodeling and think "didn't they teach us that prevention is more cost effective than treatment?" Shouldn't we be building more "prevention centers" instead of treatment centers?

You can see where this is going.
I'm not overtly upset with how hospitals and health care is changing, but I am watching with a leery eye. One part of me sees these BH concepts abounding and then wonders are we still taking care of the employees as much as we are taking care of the buildings.....

When I think back to the recent speeches and political diatribe about the economic crisis and how parts of it were based on irresponsible consumer spending as well as irresponsible behavior by creditors - I wonder does this parallel our health care crisis and irresponsible spending by hospital corporations as well?

-KMG 365, Clear