How do our beliefs and interpretations of evidence shape what we do for patients? Simon Carley introduces his SMACC Gold talk on deciding when to change practice, exploring the place of innovators and sceptics and linking to the debate that followed with Scott Weingart.
Could analysis of the ventricular fibrillation waveform help decide when to defibrillate? This 2014 appraisal examines a randomised trial in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest that found no improvement in survival, considering the study’s limitations and the gap between a plausible technology and demonstrated patient benefit.
Can an observational study overturn the findings of a large randomised trial? This 2014 journal club examines a report questioning tranexamic acid in severe trauma, focusing on treatment selection, excluded early deaths and confounding as reasons to question a striking apparent association with harm.
A report from Retrieval 2014 in Glasgow, with a recorded talk on the first hour of paediatric sepsis aimed at generalists who care for children. Simon Carley also shares conference highlights on retrieval leadership, resilience, simulation and prehospital care.
Could ROTEM help identify coagulation problems beyond trauma patients in the resuscitation room? This 2014 journal club reviews a small study in hypovolaemic shock, examining recruitment difficulties, the distinction between correlation and agreement, and the limits of an early proof-of-concept study.
A short reading guide to two reviews of resuscitation research from 2013. The linked papers cover topics ranging from cardiac arrest prevention, basic life support and education to advanced life support, post-resuscitation care, prognostication and cardiac arrest centres.