What can bedside echocardiography contribute when aortic dissection is suspected? This 2012 journal club appraises a retrospective study of type A dissection, questioning patient selection, specialist expertise and whether results from a cardiac centre can support decisions in a general emergency department.
Did the 6S trial change the case for starch-based resuscitation fluids? This 2012 journal club reviews hydroxyethyl starch versus Ringer's acetate in severe sepsis, examining randomisation, blinding and the mortality findings, and asking how the results should influence interpretation of the crystalloid–colloid debate.
Who with chest pain needs investigation for acute coronary syndrome? Rick Body's 2012 discussion examines what symptoms and signs can—and cannot—tell us, challenges reliance on labels such as 'atypical', and explores the tension between avoiding missed diagnoses and reducing unnecessary admissions.
Why can a cheap, straightforward treatment struggle for attention alongside more dramatic interventions? Reflecting on tranexamic acid after CRASH-2 in 2012, Simon Carley questions the appeal of expensive or technically demanding therapies and asks how clinicians can close the gap between evidence and routine practice.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
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