#FOAMed

Personal preparation for high-acuity, low-occurrence procedures goes beyond learning the physical technique. Part two of the HALO series explores decision triggers, managing stress, self-talk, mental rehearsal and focus, with an emphasis on deliberate practice before a crisis.

This Critical Appraisal Nugget introduces sensitivity and specificity as ways to describe diagnostic test accuracy. Aimed at medical students and doctors preparing for exams, the podcast explores how these concepts help clinicians choose and interpret investigations in emergency care.

How did trauma transfusion move from whole blood to crystalloid and component therapy, then back towards whole blood? This 2023 narrative review follows the key studies behind that evolution and considers prehospital transfusion, different injury patterns and the questions still unanswered.

Part one of the HALO series examines how to learn the physical skills needed for high-acuity, low-occurrence procedures. It compares training models, including task trainers and cadaver courses, and stresses the importance of practising what happens after the initial incision.

A review of a paper from the European Heart Journal looking at the prehospital use of troponin in patients with low risk chest pain.

Semi-structured interviews are a great way to get the really rich data we need to understand something in greater depth. They allow us to ask 'why?' as well as just 'what?', 'who?' and 'when?'.