A friend’s experience of chest pain prompts this 2021 introduction to spontaneous coronary artery dissection. It explores presentation, diagnosis, management and life after SCAD, highlighting why few conventional cardiovascular risk factors should not obscure this important cause of myocardial infarction.
Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) Read More
When exit block leaves patients in the emergency department for many hours, their care needs extend beyond the initial plan. Rich Carden draws on military prolonged field care to offer a checklist covering hygiene, hydration, infection, tubes, medication, analgesia and nutrition.
Prolonged Field Care…in the ED. St Emlyn’s Read More
How can reflection become useful learning rather than a compulsory portfolio exercise? Natalie May explores planned and spontaneous reflection, patient follow-up, feedback and the biases that shape our accounts. Her article and accompanying podcast consider how educators can create safer, more meaningful opportunities to learn from practice.
What should a triage score actually achieve? This discussion questions whether diagnosis, mortality or admission adequately measure success, and argues for greater attention to patients whose clinical course or suffering could be changed by earlier intervention.
Triage: The sorting hat of Emergency medicine, but what are we really seeking? St.Emlyn’s. Read More
A historical review of the 2016 RCEM guidance on acute behavioural disturbance in the emergency department. The post discusses de-escalation, the risks of restraint, sedation, assessment for underlying illness and early senior involvement when severe agitation accompanies physiological instability.
Managing Acute Behavioural Disturbance Read More
