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A personal selection of recent papers prepared for the 2024 emergency medicine update in Whistler. The appraisals cover airway management, major haemorrhage and cardiac arrest, exploring what the findings might mean for practice and where uncertainty remains.

Iain and Simon review the January 2024 posts, including airway management in acute poisoning, staff retention and working conditions in emergency medicine. They also discuss Liz Crowe's reflection on habits, resolutions and making changes that last.

A selection of resuscitation papers discussed at the Big Sick Conference in Zermatt in 2024. These personal appraisals examine airway management, haemorrhage and cardiac arrest, considering the findings, their limitations and the questions still facing clinicians and researchers.

Could selective aortic arch perfusion become a future resuscitation technique? This appraisal examines a feasibility study using perfused human cadavers, explaining the procedure and its limitations. It considers the research and practical questions that remain before clinical use.

How do experienced prehospital clinicians decide when to give blood? This appraisal explores a qualitative study of physicians at two UK air ambulance services, examining the role of experience and uncertainty, and what these decisions can teach us about training and reflection.

Liz Crowe reflects on noise, constant stimulation and the difficulty of finding quiet in a busy life. She explores what silence can offer and suggests ways to make space for it, including small pauses during demanding clinical shifts.

Top 10 papers from 2022-2023 for the SASEM 2023 conference in Jeddah.

How do you prepare a whole team for high-acuity, low-occurrence procedures? The third HALO article explores shared mental rehearsal, simulation, role clarity and debriefing, including how to support colleagues who encounter these procedures without prior preparation.

A critical appraisal of the DEVICE trial comparing video and direct laryngoscopy in critically ill adults. It examines the improvement in first-attempt intubation success, the absence of a clear difference in severe complications, and how operator experience and patient selection affect interpretation.

Personal preparation for high-acuity, low-occurrence procedures goes beyond learning the physical technique. Part two of the HALO series explores decision triggers, managing stress, self-talk, mental rehearsal and focus, with an emphasis on deliberate practice before a crisis.