Didn't put a label on it: Examining intimate partner strangulation within a diagnostic framework.

Only eight women were interviewed and seven records were reviewed, so the findings cannot show how often these experiences occur. The study was done in one ED with a forensic nurse examiner program, so results may not apply to EDs without that service. Many eligible women were not enrolled because they could not be contacted, did not show up, or declined, which may bias the sample. Medical records were available only from the study ED, so information from prior ED visits may be missing for four participants. Women's memories of the assault and care may be incomplete, and strangulation-related injury could affect recall. Recruitment involved forensic nurses, so women with positive experiences may have been more likely to participate. The study reports experiences and documentation patterns, not whether care prevented harm or improved outcomes.

Do not conclude that nurses failed to document strangulation. The study found strangulation was noted in physician and nursing visit notes, but it was absent from the final diagnostic codes or clinical impressions in the seven records reviewed.