A 2017 Northern Emergency Medicine conference companion introduces eleven papers on resuscitation, trauma, paediatric asthma and clinician wellbeing. Short appraisals and links to fuller discussions encourage readers to look beyond headline results before deciding what the findings mean for their patients.
Who should decide which medical research clinicians can read and trust? Reflecting on a 2016 SMACC debate, Simon Carley questions journal paywalls and traditional publishing incentives, while exploring open access, post-publication review and the unresolved problem of sustainable alternatives.
What can UK registry data tell us about traumatic cardiac arrest? This 2016 appraisal examines survival and injury patterns in TARN, while explaining why observational associations cannot establish which interventions work and why different causes may require different approaches.
Chest drain insertion involves more than getting a tube into the chest. This 2016 teaching post discusses patient selection, analgesia, ultrasound, drain size and secure fixation, combining published evidence with the author’s practical experience and acknowledging important uncertainties.
Does open cardiac massage outperform closed chest compressions in traumatic cardiac arrest? This 2016 appraisal examines a small study using end-tidal carbon dioxide measurements, explaining why limited numbers and differences between patient groups leave the treatment question unresolved.
Natalie May’s notes accompanying her 2015 smaccMINI talk explore assessment of the previously well child with altered consciousness. The post covers protecting the brain and organising possible causes through the ‘5MF’ framework, including infection, metabolic illness, medication effects and seizures.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
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