M MECHANICAL VENTILATION A mechanical ventilator moves air in and out of a patient’s lungs. Although the equipment ventilates a patient, it doesn’t ensure adequate gas exchange. Mechanical ventilation may…
IJK ILLEGAL ALTERATION OF A MEDICAL RECORD As a general rule, the medical record is presumed to be accurate if there’s no evidence of fraud or tampering. Tampering or illegal…
L LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES Entering a health care facility or using a health care service can be a daunting experience for a person who doesn’t speak English. Nurses and other health…
H HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 went into effect in the spring of 2003 to strengthen and protect patient…
F FAILURE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION You may occasionally encounter a patient who refuses to provide accurate or complete information about his health history, current medications, or treatments. He may be…
G GASTRIC LAVAGE After poisoning or a drug overdose, especially in patients who have central nervous system depression or an inadequate gag reflex, gastric lavage is used to flush the…
E ELOPEMENT FROM A HEALTH CARE FACILITY If you discover that a patient is missing or has left the health care facility without having said anything about leaving (called “elopement”),…
A ABUSE, SUSPECTED Abuse may be suspected in any age-group, cultural setting, or environment. The patient may readily report being abused or may fear reporting the abuser. Types of suspected…
C CARDIAC MONITORING Because it allows continuous observation of the heart’s electrical activity, cardiac monitoring is useful not only for assessing cardiac rhythm, but also for gauging a patient’s response…
B BAD NEWS BY TELEPHONE It’s usually best to relate bad news in person to a patient’s family. In reality, however, this may not always be possible. Sometimes you may…
