A collection of evidence, guidelines and resources accompanying Dan Horner's 2023 RCEM CPD talk on the physiologically difficult airway. Links cover cardiovascular collapse, hypoxaemia, ultrasound, checklists and improving emergency airway care outside the operating room.
The St Emlyn's team look back on 2021: clinical work, pandemic research, teaching and life beyond medicine. Personal reflections sit alongside favourite books, music and podcasts, with thoughts on connection, learning and the year ahead.
Revisiting his debate with Scott Weingart, Simon Carley asks whether emergency medicine can continue to be everything to everyone. This 2021 reflection considers the specialty's core work, increasing subspecialisation and the continuing need for generalists in less-supported settings.
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.
What can point-of-care ultrasound add when a patient presents in shock? This 2021 review explores ultrasound protocols, diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes, questioning a uniform scanning approach and considering how clinical context and pre-test probability can guide a focused examination.
Why does calcium matter in traumatic haemorrhage and major transfusion? Iain Beardsell reviews two papers on hypocalcaemia, discusses the proposed 'lethal diamond' and considers earlier calcium replacement, while acknowledging the limited direct evidence behind this 2021 argument for practice change.
How can we judge the quality of online medical education? Simon Carley and Peter Brindley discuss FOAMed assessment tools, the limits of numerical ratings and why readers still need critical appraisal and primary sources.
What can a specialist prehospital service teach us about a rare emergency airway procedure? This review of London Air Ambulance's 20-year cricothyroidotomy experience separates procedural success from patient survival and considers the implications for training, preparation and interpreting retrospective data.
Joke Van kerkhoven draws on emergency medicine and elite sport to explore leading yourself under pressure. Written during COVID-19, this practical reflection covers mindset, breathing, planning and recovery, with ways to prepare for difficult situations and learn from them afterwards.
How can resuscitation improve beyond knowing the next clinical intervention? Simon Carley's conference teaching brings together preparation, team pauses, maintaining control of the patient, peer review and hot debriefs, with practical tools for thinking and learning under pressure.