CE: Assessing Back Pain in Patients Presenting to the ED

Am J Nurs. 2021 Jul 1;121(7):26-30. doi: 10.1097/01.NAJ.0000756520.85864.c0.

Abstract

Although back pain is common, most often benign, and generally resolves in a few days with self-care, nonspecific low back pain that does not resolve with self-care and prompts patients to seek treatment in an ED may result from a serious underlying pathology. In this article, the first in a series on clinical red flags-indicators that can be used in the clinical setting to screen for an elevated risk of severe underlying conditions-the author considers back pain manifestations that may signal the presence of a debilitating or even fatal disease process. Detecting such red flags and communicating their presence to the attending provider can facilitate appropriate diagnosis and management.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Back Pain / diagnosis
  • Back Pain / etiology
  • Back Pain / nursing*
  • Emergency Nursing / methods*
  • Emergency Service, Hospital*
  • Humans
  • Physical Examination / nursing
  • Risk Factors