Does cricoid pressure still have a place in rapid sequence induction? Simon Carley appraises a large 2018 randomised trial, weighing aspiration outcomes against difficulties with laryngoscopy. He also considers the limits of applying operating-theatre evidence to emergency department patients and groups excluded from the study.
JC: Cricoid Pressure and RSI, do we still need it? 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
Fluids are drugs, with potential benefits and harms. Simon Carley examines a 2018 narrative review of intravenous fluids in critically ill adults, covering fluid choice, shock phases and evolving physiology. He also asks how to read expert reviews critically and remain open to evidence that challenges established practice.
JC: Intravenous fluid therapy in critically ill adults (review). St Emlyn’s Read More
Natalie May rounds up apps discussed in the technology session at EMSA 2018. The selection spans clinical reference, simulation, ultrasound, professional learning and everyday organisation, with examples of how speakers used these tools in practice. It offers a snapshot of their digital toolkit at the time.
Top Apps at #EMSA18 St Emlyn’s Read More
The 2018 PARAMEDIC-2 trial challenged assumptions about adrenaline in cardiac arrest. Simon Carley examines the distinction between improved survival and favourable neurological outcomes, the trial’s patient selection and the competing arguments about practice, stressing why the results need more than a simple yes-or-no interpretation.
JC: Does Epinephrine work in Cardiac Arrest. St Emlyn’s Read More
Does the speed or composition of intravenous rehydration affect neurological outcomes in children with DKA? This review examines the 2018 PECARN trial, its four fluid regimens and the limits of its findings. Simon Carley explains why challenging established assumptions does not remove the need for careful fluid management.
JC: Fluid resuscitation in paediatric DKA. St Emlyn’s Read More
