Could inhaling vapour from an isopropyl-alcohol wipe reduce nausea in the emergency department? This 2016 appraisal examines a small randomised trial, weighing its short-term symptom findings against concerns about blinding, patient selection and the lack of a direct comparison with other antiemetics.
JC: Can alcohol relieve nausea. St.Emlyn’s Read More
What happens to circulation when we give intravenous fluid, and how can we tell whether it has helped? This 2015 physiology review connects Frank–Starling and Guyton models with fluid responsiveness, examining the limitations of routine observations and the role of cardiac output assessment.
Maestrini, Frank, Starling, Guyton…….and Fluids at St.Emlyn’s Read More
Could patient-controlled analgesia improve ongoing pain relief after arrival in the emergency department? This 2015 journal club examines the two PASTIES trials, comparing abdominal pain and traumatic injury, and discusses their differing results, pragmatic design and the limitations of unblinded pain assessment.
JC: Pain free PASTIES in the ED. St.Emlyn’s Read More
Can a subdissociative dose of ketamine provide comparable pain relief to intravenous morphine? This 2015 journal club examines a small emergency department trial, considering pain scores, rescue analgesia, adverse effects and blinding, while explaining why failure to find a difference does not establish equivalence.
JC: K is Good For You – Subdissociative Ketamine vs Morphine in the ED Read More
A 2015 review of acute otitis media in children, exploring diagnosis, pain relief and the balance of benefits and harms from antibiotics. The article discusses immediate, delayed and no-antibiotic approaches, communication with families and the importance of recognising unwell children, complications and additional risk factors.
Save Yourself Earache – Antibiotics and Otitis Media in the ED Read More
Rick Body and Kerstin de Wit introduce the drugs then known as novel oral anticoagulants in this 2015 podcast. The first part explores how they work, their place alongside older treatments, prescribing considerations and monitoring, capturing the questions surrounding their early adoption in emergency practice.
Get the NOAC Knowhow: Novel Oral Anticoagulants Part 1 Read More
Why can acute dystonia be mistaken for anaphylaxis, anxiety or neurological disease? This 2014 clinical review explores varied presentations, medication-related causes and diagnostic anchoring, alongside treatment considerations and the importance of reconsidering the diagnosis when the picture does not fit.
Dystonia in the Emergency Department. St Emlyn’s Read More
Do clinicians and parents mean the same thing by ‘bilious’ or ‘projectile’ vomiting? This paediatric teaching post explores how language can obscure important findings, using vomiting in babies and children to illustrate clearer history-taking and recognition of possible surgical illness.
When Sick Means Sick: Emesemantics and Vomiting in Kids Read More
