Caring for patients undergoing interventional radiology (IR) procedures requires a team of highly skilled procedural radiologists, radiologic technologists, nurses, and, possibly, anesthesiologists. Procedures performed will differ depending on the facility and the team. Some procedures are quite common and of a lower risk while other procedures carry a high risk and may mean life or death for a patient. This chapter discusses the importance of a sterile field and aseptic technique and provides information on preprocedural/prophylactic antibiotic use and pertinent lab values, along with a preprocedural patient checklist. Sterile technique reduces the rate of procedure-related infections.

Acute ischemic stroke can have disabling effects on patients. This chapter covers neurointerventional procedures that are minimally invasive treatments for cerebral ischemia, including endovascular ischemic stroke treatment, carotid stenting, intracranial angioplasty, and petrosal venous sampling. These procedures can complement or sometimes replace more traditional medical and surgical treatments for these conditions. The chapter discusses preprocedural, intraprocedural, and postprocedural basics and how to anticipate and prepare for complications. The chapter explains the rapid stroke care by all team members for improved outcomes and the nurse's role in neurointerventional procedures.

Pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombus (DVT) is usually treated pharmacologically with anticoagulation therapy. Vena cava filters are employed in cases where there is a contraindication for pharmacological treatment such as bleeding, in cases of failed anticoagulation therapy, or in cases of large clot burden. The new types of vena cava filters are designed to be removed. Removal is recommended and reduces the risk of filter-related complications. This chapter discusses the process to retrieve foreign bodies utilizing interventional radiology services. Also covered are the indications for IVC filter placement and the types of IVC filters available.

The radiology environment is diverse and changes quickly. The variability of the patient population leaves a great deal of unknown factors that difficult to plan for. Each patient brings unique identifiers that may add challenges to the nurse's goal of providing patient- and family-focused imaging care. The nurse must recognize the unique needs of each individual patient and work to meet those needs with the ultimate outcome of safe, quality patient care. This chapter discusses the care of a pediatric patient and the care of a geriatric patient, describing techniques for the care of high-risk/fragile patients.

Procedures performed in an interventional radiology suite have a number of benefits for the patient, including shortened procedural time, improved patient comfort, less procedural risk, and often being more affordable. The use of image guidance assists the interventional radiologist in heightened accuracy of the procedure, as the direct path of the procedure can usually be determined before the procedure even begins. This chapter focuses on how an abscess is drained and discusses the process to biopsy tissue. Percutaneous technique used for abscess drainage offers many advantages to traditional open surgical drainage and has become the first-line therapy in treating infected fluid collections. Percutaneous biopsy is one of the most common procedures performed by interventional radiologists. Also covered are the indications, contraindications, preprocedural care, anesthesia, intraprocedural care, postprocedural care, complications, and follow-up/patient education of abscess drainage, percutaneous biopsy, and percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement.

The public expects healthcare providers to be professional in all that they do while providing the safest precision patient care possible. Those who work within a healthcare setting recognize some colleagues are difficult to work with and, at times, unprofessional. Studies have shown poor communication and a weak team can lead to increased errors in a healthcare setting. This chapter helps the reader to focus on how to promote teamwork and how to set boundaries with coworkers. To create a group that wants the same goals, there must be an atmosphere that promotes comfort, camaraderie, and security with coworkers who are comfortable speaking up while supporting patient safety and quality care. Bullying or disruptive behavior is not acceptable in healthcare, either by staff or patients and families.

Minimally invasive procedures assist patients in reaching a higher quality of life. Different energy sources and techniques allow the proceduralist to provide the most effective treatment available for each particular diagnosis. This chapter discusses care of the patient undergoing vertebral augmentation procedures. It describes infertility treatment for fallopian tube occlusion and the fundamentals of ablation. It also explains the differences between thermal and cryoablation and provides the applications of ablation.

Of all emergencies, respiratory problems must be treated first. Without a patent airway and breathing, a patient will die-and nothing else matters. Emergency nurses must be able to recognize and rapidly respond to any respiratory emergency. This chapter reviews the most common respiratory conditions seen in the emergency department (ED), discussing causes, signs and symptoms, and interventions for conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, airway obstructions, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, status asthmaticus, spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumonia, and burn inhalation. The chapter also includes a section on assisting with drug-assisted intubation or rapid sequence intubation. When dealing with respiratory emergencies, be sure to thoroughly document respiratory assessments, including rate, depth, breath sounds, symmetry, skin color, use of accessory muscles (if labored or unlabored), and ability to speak in full sentences before and after each intervention.

Everyone experiences anxiety, stress, anger, and depression in their lives, but some people become suicidal, violent, or psychotic. Mental health patients may be difficult to treat at times, particularly when they engage in disruptive behavior. At times, security, antianxiety medication, seclusion, and restraints may be necessary for short periods of time to maintain patient safety. However, restraints should be a last resort after the least restrictive measures have been attempted. Mental health patients will respond better when nurses remain calm, speak concisely, respect personal space, and inform patients of upcoming procedures. This chapter discusses the best ways to manage patients who are experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, psychosis, or levels of anxiety (including panic); patients who are expressing suicidal intentions; and patients who are exhibiting violent or aggressive behavior.

Although most emergency departments (EDs) have a triage area, triage is not actually a place, but a process. The decisions made by the triage nurse determine the level of care and urgency in which a patient will be seen and can directly affect patient outcomes. This chapter provides some of the tools nurses need to master the art of triage, including triage acuity systems, the Emergency Severity Index, and steps for choosing an acuity level. The chapter also includes a section on pediatric triage, discusses legal issues in triage, and lists common pitfalls of triage.