Journal Club

Can a single very low high-sensitivity troponin T result, combined with a non-ischaemic ECG, rule out myocardial infarction? Rick Body discusses a 2016 TRAPID-AMI analysis, its promising diagnostic performance and why excluding infarction does not automatically make discharge appropriate.

What does counting conference speakers reveal about gender equity? This 2016 report examines EM programmes from 2014–2015, comparing women’s representation with the specialist workforce and considering speaking time, methodological limitations and the questions that simple headcounts leave unanswered.

An introduction to the St Emlyn’s Critical Appraisal Nuggets podcast series, launched in 2016 to help clinicians interpret research and prepare for exams. The first episode brings Simon Carley and Rick Body together to discuss randomisation, with links to further learning resources.

Does adding ketamine to propofol make emergency procedural sedation safer? This 2016 appraisal of the POKER trial examines respiratory complications, recovery and patient experience, finding no convincing overall advantage while discussing blinding, event rates and the limits of the evidence.

What happens when clinicians cannot access the research they need? This 2016 discussion uses Sci-Hub to examine paywalls, open access and disruption in medical publishing, weighing ethical tensions, legal concerns and sustainability without offering a simple endorsement of the service.

Could erythropoietin protect the brain after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest? This 2016 appraisal examines a French randomised trial that found no neurological or survival advantage and more adverse events, including thromboembolism, highlighting the gap between biological promise and demonstrated patient benefit.