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Could ROTEM help identify coagulation problems beyond trauma patients in the resuscitation room? This 2014 journal club reviews a small study in hypovolaemic shock, examining recruitment difficulties, the distinction between correlation and agreement, and the limits of an early proof-of-concept study.

Formulating your Question This page should be useful to everyone, in particular to anyone attending the SMACC Dublin workshop on evidence based emergency medicine and critical care. Watch the video […]

How do experienced trauma team leaders know whether they are performing well? This reflection makes the case for peer observation and feedback, describes a practical process using a TEAM assessment sheet, and explores how colleagues can help each other develop beyond formal training.

How does a patient’s story become distorted as it passes through the emergency department? Using an illustrative handover, this post explores clearer summaries, structured communication, attentive listening and checking shared understanding, with practical ways for both the speaker and receiver to reduce misunderstandings.

The second instalment of this ethics series revisits a fictional rescue dilemma through the trolley problem and the four pillars of medical ethics. It explores intentions, consequences, action and omission, and asks why apparently similar choices can provoke very different moral judgements.

How often do we tell our emergency department colleagues that their work matters? This reflection explores the value of gratitude during demanding shifts and offers simple ways to make thanks sincere, specific and part of everyday team culture.

Why were so many trainees struggling to pass FCEM? Writing in 2013, Simon Carley examines pass rates, training pressures and the structure of the examination, using a probability model to question how separate compulsory components affect candidates’ chances of success.

How can an emergency department debrief support learning after a difficult event? This 2013 discussion considers purpose, timing, facilitation, hierarchy and staff participation, with an emphasis on recognising good practice, agreeing improvements and identifying colleagues who need further support.

What might emergency physicians learn from Sir Alex Ferguson’s leadership? Written on his retirement in 2013, this reflection explores motivation, proportionate praise, honest feedback, relationships and learning from setbacks, drawing connections between leading a football team and improving an emergency department.

Some years ago I delved into a little philosophy. Not the clever stuff that Michelle Johnston reads, more the stuff that you find in airport bookshops. I particularly enjoyed two […]