Could a single dose of dexamethasone be an alternative to a course of prednisolone for children with an asthma exacerbation? This 2016 appraisal examines a non-inferiority trial, including patient selection and blinding concerns, and places its findings alongside earlier studies.
JC: Why don’t we use dexamethasone for children’s asthma? Read More
How should clinicians balance missed acute coronary syndrome against the harms of unnecessary investigation? In notes accompanying his UMECS 2016 talk, Rick Body explores the limits of symptoms and clinical judgement, acceptable risk and the importance of including patients in chest-pain decisions.
Getting your chest pain evaluation right: #UMECS16 Read More
The original live-coverage page for the 2015 Royal College of Emergency Medicine conference in Manchester. This short archive entry introduced streams of the opening ceremony and the ‘24h EM People’ session; it records the event coverage rather than announcing a current broadcast.
The 2015 REVERT trial compared a modified Valsalva manoeuvre with the standard technique in adults with stable supraventricular tachycardia. This appraisal examines conversion to sinus rhythm, the need for further treatment and practical questions about applying the findings in the emergency department.
JC The REVERT trial: Dip or doom for SVT in the Emergency Department? Read More
Highlights from the 2015 North West Emergency Medicine Regional Research Symposium, spanning heart failure trials, ECG interpretation, chest pain testing and post-cardiac-arrest care. The report also explores building research teams in district general hospitals and measuring outcomes that matter to trauma patients.
The North West Emergency Medicine Regional Research Symposium 2015 Read More
An archived preview of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s September 2015 conference in Manchester, themed ‘24-Hour EM People’. It introduces the planned speakers, ultrasound workshops, simulation activities and social programme, alongside reflections on how conferences can strengthen learning and professional community.
#RCEM15: 24 HOUR EM PEOPLE Read More
What happens when James Lind’s scurvy experiment meets a modern critical appraisal checklist? Written for International Clinical Trials Day 2015, this deliberately playful review uses the historic study to explain randomisation, outcome definitions, statistical uncertainty and how expectations of clinical research have changed.
JC: An International Clinical Trials Day Special Read More
How can emergency departments reduce delays for patients who need transfer for primary PCI? This 2015 account of Manchester’s DIDO-30 project examines early ECG recording, recognition and escalation, with practical ideas for improving pathways through staff feedback, shared responsibility and rehearsing the whole process.
Good times part 1: DIDO-30 for STEMI Read More
