Accurate triage of patients in an emergency department is critical to timely care and patient safety.
Read these four clinical tips for triage nurses based on recent trends spotted by RSQ® Collaborative Triage Champion, Shelley Cohen, RN, MSN, CEN.
Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that is usually spread by coughing/sneezing. The patient is contagious up to 2 weeks after the cough begins; antibiotics shorten this period of time. There are 2 stages to the disease.
Ingestion of disc batteries is the most common cause of fatal ingestions in children less than 5 years of age. When ingested, disc batteries can result in aortoesophageal and other fistulas. More than 90% of these fatalities are associated with lithium-type disc batteries.
When making a triage decision, consider your triage guidelines and always apply pain level recommendations from the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) or Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS). Keep in mind that frequent users complaining of pain my actually have an emergency!
To bring more tips like these into your ED, consider our Triage Fundamentals online education program. Learn more at the link below.
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