Should adults receive midazolam or haloperidol before ketamine sedation in the ED? This 2019 trial appraisal weighs reduced agitation against longer recovery, examines the study’s size and outcome measures, and asks whether observed behaviour captures what matters to patients.
JC: Should we premedicate for ketamine sedation? St Emlyn’s Read More
Can some traumatic pneumothoraces and haemothoraces be managed without a chest drain? This 2018 appraisal examines a UK observational study, including patients receiving positive-pressure ventilation. It considers selection bias, the limits of a single-centre dataset and the importance of monitoring when conservative management is chosen.
JC: Conservative management of chest trauma. St Emlyn’s Read More
What does ‘massive’ pulmonary embolism really tell us about a patient’s risk? In this case-based 2018 review, Dan Horner examines physiology, clot burden, clinical trajectory and bleeding risk, arguing for a fuller assessment and shared decisions rather than reliance on a single blood-pressure threshold.
Pulmonary Embolism – We call it massiiiiiiivve Read More
This preview of the September 2018 World Sepsis Conference considers what a free online meeting can offer. Simon Carley reflects on access, diversity, patient voices and the environmental costs of travel, asking how conferences might share learning more widely while retaining the value of meeting in person.
Which advanced airway strategy should come first in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest? This 2018 review compares AIRWAYS-2 and PART, examining supraglottic devices and tracheal intubation. It considers trial outcomes alongside operator experience, training and the practical realities of prehospital resuscitation.
JC: OOHCA and Airway management. Do we need a tube? St Emlyn’s Read More
Is paracetamol alone enough for pain after minor musculoskeletal injury? This 2017 review examines a randomised non-inferiority trial comparing paracetamol, diclofenac and their combination. It explores pain outcomes, trial design and exclusions, including why the findings cannot simply be extended to fractures or all painful injuries.
JC : Paracetamol, NSAID’s or both in MSK trauma. St.Emlyn’s Read More
Could oral rivaroxaban replace fondaparinux injections for superficial vein thrombosis? This 2017 appraisal of SURPRISE examines its non-inferiority design, composite outcomes, bleeding and generalisability, asking how convenience should be weighed against uncertainty about benefits and harms.
The rise and SURPRISE of the DOACs. St.Emlyn’s Read More
How were emergency medicine’s research priorities chosen in 2017? This report and podcast introduction describe the James Lind Alliance and RCEM process, bringing patients, clinicians and researchers together to rank unanswered questions and guide future research beyond individual interests.
Here’s the top 10 (and more) research priorities in EM. James Lind & St.Emlyn’s Read More
