Highlights and a podcast from day two of the London Trauma Conference 2014, spanning trauma in older people, children and pregnant patients. The team also reflects on performance culture, learning from deaths, the future of ATLS and debates about ultrasound, vascular access and social media.
St Emlyn’s reports from the opening day of the London Trauma Conference 2014, with an accompanying podcast summary. Topics include traumatic arterial dissection, impact brain apnoea, the development of major trauma centres, research involving children and older people, and trauma care in motorsport.
How can a discharge conversation help patients understand what is known, what remains uncertain and when to return? Natalie May outlines an approach to safety netting that combines empathy, clear explanations, expected recovery, warning signs and written advice, with attention to carers and communication with primary care.
Does more severe chest pain make a heart attack more likely? Rick Body describes a 2014 study of emergency department patients, showing the difference between a statistically significant association and a useful diagnostic test, and why mild discomfort alone cannot provide reassurance about the underlying cause.
Philosophy of Emergency Medicine
When clinicians rely on instinct, how do they recognise when their own judgement is becoming less reliable? Iain Beardsell reflects on fatigue, distraction, emotional reactions and time pressure, sharing personal strategies for protecting attention and asking colleagues for support when he is not at his best.
A 2014 induction podcast in which Iain Beardsell and Simon Carley work through the assessment of chest pain. They discuss serious possible causes, the role and limits of ECGs and investigations, seeking senior advice and explaining uncertainty to patients when a definite diagnosis remains elusive.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
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