Testing Requirement in ER Before passing Meds and Sending to X-Ray

[nicole1141982]

So someone please provide me with the requirements for correct standard of care in an ER that must be followed for women of childbearing age. I need the pregnancy testing requirements please and thank you in advance. And where I can locate this information in writing.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

You are asking a very broad question. And I suspect you are REALLY asking if your care was appropriate and that is asking medical advice and THAT is against the AN Terms of Service.

[nicole1141982]

No actually I am A Licensed Nurse and was wondering the actual protocol for testing in the Emergency room before pushing meds or sending off to have any diagnostic imaging.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

No actually I am A Licensed Nurse and was wondering the actual protocol for testing in the Emergency room before pushing meds or sending off to have any diagnostic imaging.

Every facility may have different policies but in general all women of child bearing age so say 12 to 45 or past menopause (No menses for 18 months) gets a urine pregnancy test prior to being given any medication or imaging studies unless there is a true emergency that requires emergent action.

Hppy

[nicole1141982]

Thank you where is this standard of care listed is it a law? Thank you so much.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

You are asking a very broad question. And I suspect you are REALLY asking if your care was appropriate

Part of me is thinking that too, but I will proceed as if it's not the case.

To the OP, in the EDs in which I have worked, not every female of child bearing age had a urine HcG test. It would usually be done before giving certain meds and before certain diagnostic imaging studies.

To know for sure what needs to be done, check with you facility policy.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Part of me is thinking that too, but I will proceed as if it's not the case.

To the OP, in the EDs in which I have worked, not every female of child bearing age had a urine HcG test. It would usually be done before giving certain meds and before certain diagnostic imaging studies.

To know for sure what needs to be done, check with you facility policy.

The fact that OP refers to self as a 'licensed nurse' and wants to know if this is a LAW convinced me I was correct in my original assumption.

[Wuzzie]

Thank you where is this standard of care listed is it a law? Thank you so much.

It is not a law.

Standards of care vary from facility to facility. There is no "Big Book of Standards of Care".

If you really are a nurse you would know this.

If you are questioning the care you or a loved one received you should speak to your PCP (your doctor) or ask to speak to a patient representative from the facility that rendered the care.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

The fact that OP refers to self as a 'licensed nurse' and wants to know if this is a LAW convinced me I was correct in my original assumption.

I know, I know

I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. Silly me!

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

Thank you where is this standard of care listed is it a law? Thank you so much.

What does your policy say regarding this issue?

In terms of laws...other than EMTLA (which is about who does an assessment), in my limited experience, the protocol for screening women is dictated by a medical director and/or policy.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

When I worked in the hospital, the only time I'm sure urine HCG was required per policy was prior to surgery for any girl over the age of 11. I think it may have also been required for girls of the same age prior to starting chemotherapy. For radiology, the techs simply asked women of child bearing age "any possibility of pregnancy?" before exposing them to radiation. Since this was a Children's Hospital, usually it was staff members and patients' moms that they were asking. If we said no, they believed us and allowed us to stay in the room. My obviously pregnant friend accompanied her child to his routine follow-up X-rays last year and said they didn't say anything to her and allowed her to remain in the room.

As a patient, I was once taken to the ER in college after having a seizure in the middle of the night. For reasons unknown to me even now, 15 years later, the ER decided I needed a Head CT. (I had a known seizure disorder, a known brain tumor and was having brain surgery in like 3 weeks.) They didn't believe me when I told them that I wasn't sexually active and there was no chance that I was pregnant (apparently it's impossible to believe a 19 year old when she says she's not sexually active) and insisted I produce a urine specimen. They sent me (post-ictal) down the hall to a bathroom where I promptly fell off the toilet and had another seizure, the urine HCG was negative and the head CT told us nothing that we didn't already know.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

The fact that OP refers to self as a 'licensed nurse' and wants to know if this is a LAW convinced me I was correct in my original assumption.

Probably one of my biggest nursing pet peeves is people asking "is this legal?" for something that is clearly a matter of facility policy not law/something that the government would have no interest in legislating.