Resuscitation

Day three of EuSEM 2018 brought discussions of troponin testing, venous thromboembolism, domestic abuse and global health. This conference report also follows trainee research, developments in emergency medicine education and the effects of incivility on teams, drawing together clinical and professional learning from Glasgow.

The second-day EuSEM 2018 report brings together pulmonary care, early EcLiPSE trial findings, care of older patients and interactive paediatric cases. It also reflects on performing under pressure and celebrates the RCEM team’s joint win in the Euro Sim Cup.

St Emlyn’s reports from the opening day of the joint EuSEM and RCEM conference in Glasgow in 2018. Highlights include toxicology, infectious diseases, analgesia and sedation, pulmonary embolism and human factors, with reflections on diagnostic reasoning and the challenges behind everyday emergency care.

What does ‘massive’ pulmonary embolism really tell us about a patient’s risk? In this case-based 2018 review, Dan Horner examines physiology, clot burden, clinical trajectory and bleeding risk, arguing for a fuller assessment and shared decisions rather than reliance on a single blood-pressure threshold.

Which advanced airway strategy should come first in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest? This 2018 review compares AIRWAYS-2 and PART, examining supraglottic devices and tracheal intubation. It considers trial outcomes alongside operator experience, training and the practical realities of prehospital resuscitation.

Fluids are drugs, with potential benefits and harms. Simon Carley examines a 2018 narrative review of intravenous fluids in critically ill adults, covering fluid choice, shock phases and evolving physiology. He also asks how to read expert reviews critically and remain open to evidence that challenges established practice.