Clinical Insights

Intravascular catheters are indispensable in modern-day medical practice, particularly in intensive care units (ICUs). Although such catheters provide necessary vascular access, their use puts patients at risk for local and systemic infectious complications, including local site infection, catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs), septic thrombophlebitis, endocarditis and other infections (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] 2002).

About 100 times each year the unthinkable happens- surgery is performed on the incorrect patient, or the surgery is on the correct patient, but on the incorrect side.  The outcome can be devastating – the wrong limb amputated, the wrong breast removed, or a hysterectomy on an incorrect patient.

Healthcare professionals in the United States today have two options available for protecting children between the ages of 12 months and12 years against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella. There is a choice between using the varicella vaccine together with the trivalent measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or using a single quadrivalent measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) vaccine.

Acid–base imbalances can cause even the most astute nurse to shudder with fear at the thought of interpreting these numbers. RN.com has simplified this process--providing a simple framework for you to use. These guidelines will give you the confidence and knowledge you need to detect and correct acid-base disorders!

The administration of intravenous therapy (IV) is so commonplace these days it’s easy to forget that the potential for harm is high on the list for untoward outcomes. As a healthcare professional, it is important to know the difference between infiltration and extravasation.