title: Centesis studies in critical care.
abstract: Critical care nurses have a vital role in caring for patients undergoing centesis studies. Any centesis procedure involves puncturing a body cavity, joint, organ, or space with a hollow needle to withdraw fluid. All centesis studies are invasive procedures, typically performed for either therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. Because there are a variety of centesis procedures that the critical care nurse might encounter, the following centesis procedures are discussed in depth: amniocentesis, arthrocentesis, lumbar puncture, paracentesis, pericardiocentesis, and thoracentesis. By becoming more familiar with each of these procedures, the critical care nurse gains confidence in caring for clients when these procedures are indicated.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Middle Tennessee State University, 1500 Greenland Drive, PO Box 81, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA. cacooper@mtsu.edu
authors.forename: Cathy A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cooper
mesh_terms: D000649:Amniocentesis; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D004282:Documentation; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D019152:Paracentesis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000592:standards; D020519:Pericardiocentesis; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D013129:Spinal Puncture; D013907:Thoracostomy