Are we diagnosing disease, or deciding when a probability is high enough to act? The opening Risky Business article uses myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism to explore uncertainty, treatment harms and why stopping investigation is different from proving that disease is absent.
What changed when UK paracetamol-overdose guidance was revised in 2012? This historical review discusses the move to a single treatment line, changes to acetylcysteine administration and the implications for admissions, treatment complications and reducing errors in a familiar emergency presentation.
Persistent swelling after a shearing injury may be more than a simple haematoma. This 2012 overview introduces Morel-Lavallée lesions, their sometimes delayed presentation and the role of ultrasound, then discusses treatment options and the uncertainty surrounding how best to manage them.
How do you act on an ECG suggesting STEMI when the rest of the presentation does not fit? This hypothetical cardiology case from 2012 combines altered consciousness, abdominal findings and no chest pain to explore competing diagnoses, bleeding risk and the urgency of reperfusion.
What happens to patients who leave before being seen? This 2012 journal club examines a service that reviewed their records and recalled selected patients, considering the serious illness found alongside missing follow-up data, uncertain outcomes and the tension between clinical responsibility and patient autonomy.
How should an emergency team respond when a patient refuses treatment after an overdose? This 2012 case discussion explores decision-making capacity, disagreement between clinicians, senior involvement and legal advice, illustrating the complexity of balancing autonomy with potentially life-saving treatment.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
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