An April 2020 podcast and accompanying notes following patients with COVID-19 from the emergency department into critical care. Dan Horner discusses respiratory support, proning, ventilation physiology and equipment problems, alongside the practical and emotional pressures of working in intensive care during the first wave.
Beyond the ED: COVID-19 and Critical Care Read More
Preparing a critically ill patient for transfer brings challenges that can be less obvious at the bedside. In this third Sydney HEMS reflection, Natalie May explores sedation, ventilation, physiological preparation and contingency planning through lessons from interhospital retrievals.
101 Reflective Lessons from a Year with Sydney HEMS. Part Three: Clinical Read More
Does intubation during in-hospital cardiac arrest improve survival? This 2017 appraisal examines a large US registry study that found an association with poorer outcomes, then considers confounding, missing procedural information and why observational data cannot settle the airway decision.
JC: Intubate or not intubate? That is the question… Read More
Could a helmet interface reduce intubation compared with a face mask for non-invasive ventilation? This 2016 appraisal examines striking results from a small, early-stopped ARDS trial, alongside baseline differences, potential bias and the difficulty of applying ICU findings to emergency department patients.
JC: Helmets or masks for NIV. St.Emlyn’s Read More
Does apnoeic oxygenation reduce desaturation during intubation of critically ill adults? This 2015 appraisal of the FELLOW trial examines its ICU population, oxygen-saturation outcomes and methodological limitations, asking how far the findings can be applied to emergency department airway practice.
JC: The last breath for apnoeic oxygenation? Read More
To explore the discomfort of arterial blood gas sampling, an emergency clinician volunteers to have the procedure filmed without local anaesthetic. This personal account accompanies a video made for NHS Change Day 2014, supporting a pledge to pay closer attention to procedural pain.
Self Experimentation in Medical Education – LA for ABGs Read More
Does this patient need an arterial blood gas, and what will you do with the result? This 2012 discussion challenges routine arterial sampling, considers venous gases and pulse oximetry, and argues for choosing investigations that answer a specific clinical question while minimising avoidable pain.
V & A in the ED – blood gases – St.Emlyn’s Read More
