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This December 2012 preview introduces SMACC 2013, a Sydney conference bringing together emergency medicine, critical care and social media. It outlines St Emlyn's plans for SimWars and opportunities to participate online as well as in person.

More scans do not necessarily mean more useful diagnoses. This 2012 journal club examines US trends in CT and MRI for atraumatic headache, questioning coding accuracy, survey extrapolation and what the findings can tell clinicians about assessing an individual patient.

This response to the 2012 NICE headache guidance considers its relevance to young people and adults presenting to emergency care. The discussion covers diagnostic features, imaging for reassurance, medication-overuse headache and the practical challenges of explaining assessment and treatment choices to patients.

Should cooling begin during cardiac arrest rather than after circulation returns? This 2012 discussion explores the rationale for intra-arrest hypothermia, the limited human and animal evidence then available, and the author's argument for trying an earlier approach despite that uncertainty.

Can a clinician's gut feeling help identify serious infection in a child who otherwise seems well? This 2012 journal club examines a Belgian primary-care study, exploring diagnostic definitions, false alarms and the limits of transferring its findings to the emergency department.

The foam in this post is party spray, not online medical education. A 2012 review of reported eye injuries prompts a discussion of chemical exposure, recognising the substance involved and the emergency department's role in injury prevention and public health messaging.