Toxicology

All the best from the blog from September 2024, in our easy to digest podcast, including prehospital arterial blood pressure monitoring, dirty adrenaline and patient experience in the ED.

The August 2024 podcast round-up explores the timing of critical procedures, smoking cessation in the ED, intranasal ketorolac for renal colic and open peer review. The discussion connects these posts with questions about clinical judgement, resources and how we assess evidence.

Can symptoms identify who needs endoscopy after a caustic ingestion? Greg Yates examines a retrospective study of corrosive exposures, focusing on how significant injury was defined, the treatment of pain in symptom classification and the missing follow-up that limits reassurance from its findings.

Does a low Glasgow Coma Scale score in acute poisoning always require intubation? This appraisal examines a randomised trial of a conservative airway strategy, focusing on patient selection, criteria for intervention and the importance of assessing the clinical trajectory.

What distinguishes body packing, pushing and stuffing, and why does it matter in the emergency department? This 2023 overview covers presentations, imaging and toxicity, alongside consent, communication with police and the guidance discussed for managing concealed drugs.

An emergency medicine overview of GBL intoxication in the context of chemsex. Gareth Roberts discusses recognition, respiratory depression, co-ingestion and the challenges of airway management, alongside the need to consider consent, safeguarding and sexual health support as patients recover.