Does tissue oxygen monitoring add useful information in sepsis? This 2012 journal club examines a small observational study of StO2, asking whether it contributes beyond lactate and conventional observations, and distinguishing an association with survival from evidence that monitoring improves patient care.
JC StO2 monitoring in the ED. St.Emlyn’s Read More
Does the benefit of tranexamic acid vary with a trauma patient’s risk of death? This 2012 journal club discusses a CRASH-2 subgroup analysis, its implications for patient selection and the uncertainties then surrounding use before arrival at hospital.
JC: Tranexamic Acid for Everyone? – St.Emlyn’s Read More
This 2012 journal club compares prasugrel with clopidogrel in acute coronary syndromes managed without revascularisation. Beyond the treatment comparison, it examines composite outcomes, all-cause mortality and confidence intervals, showing why the choice of endpoint can complicate interpretation of a clinical trial.
JC – Prasugrel vs Clopidogrel in ACS Read More
Does patient-controlled analgesia improve pain relief in the emergency department? This 2012 appraisal examines a randomised trial in acute abdominal pain, considering blinding, exclusions, the comparison treatment and how pain was measured, with additional explanations of area under the curve and block randomisation.
JC: Patient Controlled Analgesia in the ED Read More
What happens to patients who leave before being seen? This 2012 journal club examines a service that reviewed their records and recalled selected patients, considering the serious illness found alongside missing follow-up data, uncertain outcomes and the tension between clinical responsibility and patient autonomy.
The ‘Did Not Wait Patient Management Strategy’ Study Read More
What matters more in a fluid trial: haemodynamic targets or outcomes that matter to patients? This 2012 appraisal of CRYSTMAS examines hydroxyethyl starch versus saline in severe sepsis, questioning the analysis population, clinical relevance of the primary outcome and interpretation of mortality findings.
JC All I want for CRYSTMAS in ITU land…, are some more potatoes, and a drink! Read More
How quickly does oral dexamethasone improve mild to moderate croup? This 2012 journal club examines a small randomised trial, questioning the clinical importance of early score changes, patient selection and statistical methods, with further teaching on blinding and intention-to-treat analysis.
Croup: Riding the Dex Express Read More
If medical publishing changes, do we still need journal clubs? This short introduction argues that critical appraisal matters just as much for blogs and other online evidence, and points readers towards practical advice for making an emergency medicine journal club useful.
JC: Journals are dead: Long live the Journal Club Read More
