Could the Glasgow-Blatchford score help identify patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding who can avoid admission? This 2012 introduction explains the score's purpose and reviews a study that moved from validation to implementation, examining what happened when selected low-risk patients were managed as outpatients.
With London 2012 approaching, how should an emergency physician prepare to treat an Olympic athlete? Simon Carley explores pressures to compete, the limits of general emergency medicine expertise, medication restrictions and specialist referral, drawing on experience from the Commonwealth Games.
Could the ADAPT protocol identify chest-pain patients suitable for earlier discharge? This 2012 appraisal examines its combination of risk scoring and serial troponin testing, then questions symptom timing, external validation, assay choice and how many patients might actually avoid further investigation.
Prompted by NICE guidance published in 2012, this discussion asks how emergency departments can improve care for people with painful sickle cell crises. It explores stigma, trust in patients' accounts of pain, individual care plans and collaboration across the emergency and haematology teams.
What can bedside echocardiography contribute when aortic dissection is suspected? This 2012 journal club appraises a retrospective study of type A dissection, questioning patient selection, specialist expertise and whether results from a cardiac centre can support decisions in a general emergency department.
How do you discuss a clinical error without either minimising its consequences or destroying a colleague's confidence? Simon Carley reflects on a missed fracture and the emotional impact of feedback, exploring supportive follow-up, changes in practice and the value of sharing our own mistakes.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
Explore the series →