Natalie May’s notes accompanying her 2015 smaccMINI talk explore assessment of the previously well child with altered consciousness. The post covers protecting the brain and organising possible causes through the ‘5MF’ framework, including infection, metabolic illness, medication effects and seizures.
How do we include children when someone they love is critically ill or dying? These notes accompany a conversation with Liz Crowe about clear explanations, addressing fears and self-blame, preparing children for the bedside and supporting families through difficult conversations.
Does cardiac activity on ultrasound predict survival after cardiac arrest, and does scanning itself improve outcomes? This 2016 appraisal of REASON examines those different questions, the study’s potential biases and why absent activity should not be treated as a definitive prognosis.
This 2016 companion to the upper gastrointestinal bleeding podcast covers recognition, resuscitation, transfusion, risk assessment and referral for endoscopy. It also discusses variceal bleeding and rescue measures, reflecting the guidance and unresolved research questions available at the time.
Could cold saline given during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest improve survival? This 2016 appraisal of RINSE examines an early-stopped randomised trial, its lack of demonstrated survival benefit and concerns about harm, while distinguishing intra-arrest cooling from temperature management after resuscitation.
Should major trauma imaging start with whole-body CT or a selective approach? This 2016 review of REACT-2 examines mortality, imaging speed and radiation exposure, while questioning exclusions, overlapping imaging between groups and whether a trial finding no difference establishes equivalence.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
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