Latest posts

The February 2020 roundup became a conversation about preparing for COVID-19 as the first cases arrived. Simon Carley and Iain Beardsell compare their hopes and worries, discussing difficult decisions, support for redeployed colleagues and the need to keep caring for patients with other illnesses.

In this March 2020 podcast, Roberto Cosentini shares experiences from Bergamo during Italy's first COVID-19 surge. The accompanying notes highlight preparation, staff training, patient flow and psychological support, capturing lessons being shared while other emergency departments were still preparing for their first wave.

A March 2020 account of preparing an emergency department for COVID-19. The Virchester team discusses leadership, PPE and simulation training, staffing, difficult conversations and service capacity, showing how local plans developed while the likely scale and course of the outbreak remained uncertain.

Iain Beardsell shares his experience of preparing for the Diploma in Immediate Medical Care, with revision resources, practice questions and practical exam tips. This personal 2020 account covers the written and practical components and points readers to the Faculty for official examination requirements.

The March 2020 announcement postponing the St Emlyn's LIVE conference because of COVID-19. The team explains the decision, the refund arrangements announced at the time and its early plans to keep medical education going through online alternatives.

Could arginine vasopressin reduce blood-product requirements after major traumatic haemorrhage? This appraisal reviews a small single-centre randomised trial, examining reduced transfusion use alongside the lack of a demonstrated mortality benefit and the limits of applying its findings to a broader trauma population.