Journal ClubEvidence-Based Medicine
Does patient-controlled analgesia improve pain relief in the emergency department? This 2012 appraisal examines a randomised trial in acute abdominal pain, considering blinding, exclusions, the comparison treatment and how pain was measured, with additional explanations of area under the curve and block randomisation.
What matters more in a fluid trial: haemodynamic targets or outcomes that matter to patients? This 2012 appraisal of CRYSTMAS examines hydroxyethyl starch versus saline in severe sepsis, questioning the analysis population, clinical relevance of the primary outcome and interpretation of mortality findings.
Journal ClubEvidence-Based Medicine
How quickly does oral dexamethasone improve mild to moderate croup? This 2012 journal club examines a small randomised trial, questioning the clinical importance of early score changes, patient selection and statistical methods, with further teaching on blinding and intention-to-treat analysis.
Journal ClubEvidence-Based Medicine
If medical publishing changes, do we still need journal clubs? This short introduction argues that critical appraisal matters just as much for blogs and other online evidence, and points readers towards practical advice for making an emergency medicine journal club useful.
Could the ADAPT protocol identify chest-pain patients suitable for earlier discharge? This 2012 appraisal examines its combination of risk scoring and serial troponin testing, then questions symptom timing, external validation, assay choice and how many patients might actually avoid further investigation.
How did NICE's 2012 DVT guidance balance diagnostic certainty with the services available? Simon Carley discusses Wells scoring, D-dimer testing and ultrasound, focusing on the distinction between proximal and calf thrombosis and the uncertainty surrounding repeat scanning and anticoagulation.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
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