Evidence-Based Medicine

A review of the January 2020 interim BSPED guidance on diabetic ketoacidosis in children and young people. Chris Gray explains changes to diagnosis, severity assessment, fluids, potassium and insulin, alongside the evidence and practical questions raised by that edition of the guidance.

Do longer ultrasound-guided peripheral cannulas last longer in patients with difficult intravenous access? This randomised-trial appraisal explores catheter survival, insertion success and the amount of catheter within the vein, while distinguishing longer peripheral cannulas from midlines and considering the study's protocol limitations.

Notes from day two of Critical Care Reviews 2020, covering ROSE, CITRIS-ALI and BIRDS, alongside editorial perspectives and the John Hinds Memorial Lecture. These conference highlights signpost research and discussion rather than providing full critical appraisals of every paper.

Day-one highlights from Critical Care Reviews 2020, including TRACT, COACT, SPICE III, HYPERION and ICU-ROX. The report brings together discussions of transfusion, cardiac arrest, sedation and oxygen therapy, alongside questions about trial design and how clinicians interpret research.

The 2019–2020 St Emlyn's journal club book brings together more than 30 critical appraisals, with links to downloadable editions. The introduction encourages readers to compare interpretations, revisit disputed studies such as CRASH-3 and use the collection to start evidence-based discussions with colleagues.

A 2019 appraisal of rocuronium versus suxamethonium for prehospital rapid-sequence intubation. The review examines first-pass success, the interpretation of a non-inferiority trial and the limits of detecting rare complications, while considering how airway choices depend on the wider clinical setting and available resources.