Resuscitation

SMACC 2019 opened with patient stories, grief and compassionate communication before moving into bedside critical care. This report covers obstetric emergencies, echocardiography and prehospital trauma debates, showing how the Sydney meeting connected technical decisions with the people receiving care.

Kat Evans shares her perspective on emergency medicine in South Africa in this recording from St Emlyn’s Live 2018. The post offers video and audio versions of her presentation, with links to badEM and related accounts of working and learning in South African emergency departments.

Simon Carley brings together ten trauma papers and resources for the 2019 TraumaUK conference. The selection spans prehospital plasma, airway management, resuscitation, head injury, emergency laparotomy and paediatric splenic injury, ending with the Zero Point Survey and preparation before resuscitation begins.

What should emergency clinicians ask when an adult with congenital heart disease attends the ED? This 2019 introduction explores altered anatomy, previous repairs and acute presentations, emphasising patients’ knowledge, specialist-team involvement and resources for further learning rather than offering a comprehensive management guide.

Should ventilation continue between induction and laryngoscopy during rapid sequence intubation? This 2019 appraisal examines a randomised trial in critically ill adults, weighing oxygen desaturation and aspiration outcomes against differences in technique, preoxygenation and the applicability of ICU findings to emergency departments.

Simon Carley and Rick Body revisit January 2019 on the St Emlyn’s podcast. The accompanying article links include ketamine sedation, prognostication after cardiac arrest, HEMS in traumatic cardiac arrest, tetanus guidance and reflections on wellbeing and professional development.