Could a 14F pigtail catheter replace a larger chest drain for traumatic haemothorax? This 2021 appraisal examines a multicentre randomised trial, weighing drainage failure, patient discomfort and statistical uncertainty, with particular attention to the exclusion of patients needing immediate emergency drainage.
Dan Horner's Difficult Airway Society 2021 talk examines emergency airway management through three priorities: cardiovascular stability, oxygenation and first-pass success. The transcript connects the evidence with preparation, multidisciplinary teamwork and local systems that support safer care across departments.
Conference ReportsMedical Education
Why do stories make such powerful teaching tools? Revisiting his EuSEM 2021 talk, Simon Carley explores how patient narratives engage learners and connect clinical experience with evidence, with an animation and links to his fuller discussion of storytelling.
Emergency Department Management
Can cardiac output help explain patient flow? This article uses preload, contractility and afterload as a metaphor for arrivals, staff and resources, and exit block, showing why changes to one part of urgent care must account for the whole system.
Natalie May shares notes from day two of the 2021 Paediatric Emergencies Colloquium. The sessions cover paediatric pain management and sedation, acute respiratory distress syndrome and toxicology, combining conference learning with her own clinical reflections.
Journal ClubEvidence-Based Medicine
How reliably do symptoms and examination findings identify cauda equina compression? This 2021 appraisal reviews a retrospective MRI cohort, questioning the diagnostic value of digital rectal examination while explaining why individual findings and a single-centre study cannot safely settle the diagnosis.
Practical perspectives on trauma care and team leadership.
Explore the series →