Journal Club

Can medical-grade skin adhesive reduce peripheral cannula failure? This 2016 appraisal examines a randomised trial of cyanoacrylate alongside standard dressings, considering the reported benefit, lack of blinding, follow-up methods, costs and the patient experience of removing the cannula.

Could inhaling vapour from an isopropyl-alcohol wipe reduce nausea in the emergency department? This 2016 appraisal examines a small randomised trial, weighing its short-term symptom findings against concerns about blinding, patient selection and the lack of a direct comparison with other antiemetics.

This December 2015 update introduces the James Lind Alliance’s emergency medicine priority-setting partnership with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. The post and accompanying podcast explain an effort to bring patients, carers and clinicians together to identify important unanswered research questions.

The EUROTHERM trial tested therapeutic hypothermia for raised intracranial pressure after traumatic brain injury and stopped early after evidence of harm. This 2015 appraisal examines neurological outcomes, trial design and why the timing and position of cooling within an escalation strategy matter when interpreting the results.

A rapid review of selected paediatric emergency medicine papers from 2015, presented at the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine conference. Natalie May examines research on trauma assessment, serious infection, cardiac arrest, bronchiolitis and procedural anxiety, highlighting limitations as well as possible implications for practice.