A satirical ‘Fellowship of Corridor Medicine’ introduces a serious discussion of emergency department overcrowding. Simon Carley follows the spoof with practical reflections on departmental leadership, communication, sharing risk across the hospital and supporting patients and staff when demand overwhelms the space available for safe care.
Studying for FCM (Fellow of Corridor Medicine) at St.Emlyn’s Read More
A 2014 appraisal of MR CLEAN, an early positive trial of intra-arterial treatment for selected patients with acute ischaemic stroke. Simon Carley examines imaging-based selection, pragmatic treatment choices and functional outcomes, while asking how confidently one trial could support wider adoption at the time.
JC: Intra-arterial treatment for Stroke Read More
This 2014 journal club examines the PARAMEDIC trial of mechanical versus manual CPR in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Alongside the cluster-randomised design and survival findings, Simon Carley reflects on separating life support from treatment of the underlying cause and how resuscitation teams divide their attention.
JC: PARAMEDIC trial m-CPR at St.Emlyn’s Read More
What do clinicians mean when they talk about ‘gestalt’? Simon Carley introduces its origins in perception, uses visual examples to explain how patterns emerge from fragments, and considers how these ideas relate to bedside assessment, ECG interpretation, clinical judgement and information that is difficult to measure.
What is Gestalt? St.Emlyn’s Read More
Can experiencing physiological stress make blood gas results more meaningful to learners? This account describes an exercise-based teaching experiment using lactate measurements, then examines the value and limits of comparing healthy volunteers with critically ill patients. It also discusses consent, organisational approval and the absence of patient-outcome evidence.
How low can you go? Experiential learning at St.Emlyn’s Read More
Does cooling during cardiac arrest improve outcomes, or simply lower temperature? This 2014 appraisal examines a small randomised trial of intra-arrest hypothermia, questioning patient selection, statistical power and surrogate outcomes, while separating the cooling headlines around London’s ‘cool car’ from its broader package of advanced resuscitation care.
JC: Getting Chilly Quickly 3. Hypothermia at St.Emlyn’s Read More
During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, emergency physician Sarah Payne puts practical questions to an infectious diseases and virology clinician. Their discussion explores UK preparedness, simulation, travel history, protective equipment and staff exposure, recording the concerns and guidance of that outbreak rather than current operational advice.
Q&A with a Virologist: Ebola in the ED at St.Emlyn’s Read More
Should ultrasound or CT be the first investigation for suspected renal colic? This 2014 appraisal examines a trial comparing emergency physician ultrasound, radiologist ultrasound and CT, focusing on patient outcomes, missed diagnoses, cumulative radiation and the need for additional imaging after the initial test.
JC: Should USS be first investigation for renal colic? St.Emlyn’s Read More
