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The purpose of the Research to Practice column is to review and critique current research articles that directly affect the advanced practice nurse's (APN's) practice in the emergency department. This review examines the findings of Schmidt and Rowbotham's (2017) article, "Aggressive Noninvasive Treatment of Acute Herpes Zoster for the Prevention of Postherpetic Neuralgia. Herpes Zoster: Postherpetic Neuralgia and Other Complications." The authors completed an extensive literature review and created 6 key clinical recommendations for treating acute herpes zoster to prevent postherpetic neuralgia, including prevention, patient education and counseling, proper diagnosing, medication selection, and treatment specific to acute herpes zoster postherpetic neuralgia. This review provides a strategy to allow APNs to confidently recognize and treat acute herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia to reduce patient risks and avoid mistreatment of acute herpes zoster and postherpetic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As musculoskeletal disorders are a common cause of emergency department visits in the United States, it is vital for nurses and nurse practitioners to understand the decision rules for ordering imaging tests when triaging patients with musculoskeletal complaints. Proper knowledge and command of selecting the most appropriate imaging for these frequent emergency department presentations will help reduce costs, decrease ionizing radiation exposure, and increase patient throughput. This article reviews the current evidence-based literature for musculoskeletal imaging in the emergency department and discusses the epidemiology, etiology, management, and prevention of the most common musculoskeletal disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]