#FOAMed

A critical response to NICE’s 2014 acute heart failure guidance, questioning whether varied presentations can be treated as one condition. The author examines the evidence behind diuretics, nitrates and non-invasive ventilation, and argues for clearer definitions and research that better reflects the sickest emergency department patients.

Should ultrasound or CT be the first investigation for suspected renal colic? This 2014 appraisal examines a trial comparing emergency physician ultrasound, radiologist ultrasound and CT, focusing on patient outcomes, missed diagnoses, cumulative radiation and the need for additional imaging after the initial test.

An archived appeal from October 2014 to support African emergency medicine clinicians attending AFCEM in Addis Ababa. The post highlights the value of sharing experience across countries and resource settings, and the difficulties funding delegate participation during the Ebola outbreak.

How do you make simulation work in the department where your team actually practises? Simon Carley shares lessons on choosing learning goals, finding simple equipment, involving the whole team, protecting patients and participants, and using debriefs to turn everyday scenarios into improvements in teamwork and systems.

Lessons from Victoria Brazil’s 2014 St Emlyn’s talk, ‘Talking, Teaching and Technology’. Rick Body describes how preparation, knowing the audience, attention to voice and body language, and ruthless simplification of slides can shape a presentation, alongside reflections from the team’s evening together in Manchester.

Rich Carden uses Star Wars and Robert Cialdini’s principles of persuasion to explore everyday interactions in emergency medicine. The reflection connects reciprocity, consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity with referrals, teamwork and diagnostic bias, encouraging awareness of psychological influences rather than manipulation of patients or colleagues.