SLO 3: Adult resuscitation and end-of-life care
The outcome
Recognise and stabilise critically ill adults, lead resuscitation with appropriate supervision, and support patients and families when resuscitation is inappropriate or ends.
What this means in practice
Rehearse an emergency together, including escalation and communication with those close to the patient.
Choose a relevant resuscitation scenario and use the current guidance linked within it.
Start here
Choose a starting point to suit what you need to work on.
Chapter 8: Resuscitation
Choose a resuscitation scenario; brief the team, set priorities and reassess.
Recognising and responding to suspected sepsis
Work through recognition, treatment timing and reassessment in suspected sepsis.
The breathless patient: act, assess, reassess
Make the first decisions for a breathless patient, including oxygen and escalation.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: first assessment
Rehearse the first assessment and initial care of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.
First assessment of suspected poisoning
Assess an uncertain poisoning, identify deterioration and use current poisons advice.
More learning for this SLO
Learn
Ep 290 – Shock with Rich Carden at Trauma 2030
Discuss perfusion and reassessment during adult resuscitation.
Ep 272 – Toxicology, Hyperthermia and the Future of Emergency Care (June and July 2025)
Discuss recognition of severe toxicological illness, including hyperthermia and opioid poisoning.
Ep 225 – A deep dive into ECMO with Andy Curry
Explore specialist support for selected patients with refractory respiratory failure or cardiac arrest.
Discuss
Anaphylaxis: act early, reassess, plan discharge
Discuss the first few minutes of anaphylaxis treatment, then work through observation and discharge decisions.
DKA: treat the patient and follow the trend
Work through the adult DKA pathway and discuss what to check when treatment is not producing the expected improvement.
Assessing acute coronary syndrome
Discuss urgent ECG findings, initial ACS care and the limits of high-sensitivity troponin pathways.
Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: decisions under pressure
Discuss resuscitation, anticoagulant reversal and definitive haemostasis when GI-bleeding treatment decisions are complicated.
Show 6 more lessons
Carbon monoxide: recognise the exposure, protect the household
Assess possible carbon monoxide exposure, interpret a later blood result and plan care that includes the safety of the home.
Recognising acute aortic dissection
Discuss when to suspect aortic dissection and how to arrange imaging and specialist care without delay.
Pain and bleeding in early pregnancy
Discuss possible ectopic pregnancy, uncertain early scan findings and sensitive explanations with reliable follow-up.
Back pain: recognising the dangerous exception
Discuss spinal and vascular causes of back pain, the limits of examination and advice for uncomplicated pain.
Chest pain: choosing the right diagnostic pathway
Discuss the initial chest-pain assessment and how to choose between ACS, PE and aortic investigation pathways.
ECMO in the ED: recognise the option and make the referral
Compare respiratory ECMO, circulatory support and ECPR, then practise the information needed for a specialist referral.
Teaching programmes
Starting in Emergency Medicine
3 relevant sessions in this programme.
Early-career Emergency Medicine
6 relevant sessions in this programme.
Higher Training and Advanced Discussion
2 relevant sessions in this programme.
Apply it in practice
Choose one thing to try on your next suitable shift, within your role and level of supervision. Discuss what happened and what you would change.
More mapped resources
Browse 58 more mapped St Emlyn’s resources
58 tagged resources
Is mCPR associated with better outcomes for in-hospital cardiac arrest?
Decompensated Liver disease in the ED
Intubation for the low GCS tox patient
Video Laryngoscopy vs Direct Laryngoscopy for Tracheal Intubation of Critically Ill Adults
The PATCH trial. TXA in major trauma
Just a routine resuscitation. The AMAX4 algorithm for anaphylaxis/asthma. St Emlyn's
Etomidate for RSI induction? St Emlyn's
Contrast Induced Nephropathy – sense at last.