Thomas Shanahan examines the December 2020 RECOVERY preprint on azithromycin for hospitalised patients with COVID-19. The review covers the absence of a mortality benefit, incomplete follow-up at publication and the importance of avoiding antibiotic use without a supported indication.
JC: Azithromycin in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 Read More
A November 2020 appraisal of the PLACID convalescent plasma trial in moderately unwell hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in India. It explores the lack of demonstrated clinical benefit, variation in usual care and antibody levels, and why larger trials were still needed.
JC: Convalescent plasma in COVID 19 patients. Read More
How well do guidelines identify meningococcal disease in children with fever and a non-blanching rash? Natalie May reviews the PiC study, examining sensitivity, overtreatment and what happened when clinicians departed from protocols, while keeping the study population and limitations in view.
JC: Spot the Difference, what can we do about petechiae? St Emlyn’s Read More
Could early prehospital plasma help trauma patients with brain injury? This 2020 review examines a secondary analysis of PAMPer, its apparent survival signal and why post-hoc findings, uncertain mechanisms and unanswered neurological-outcome questions require caution before changing practice.
JC: Early plasma use in traumatic brain injury. St Emlyn’s Read More
Could carotid ultrasound make pulse checks more reliable? Natalie May examines a proof-of-concept study using recordings from patients undergoing cardiac surgery, and explains why interpreting those images is a different challenge from obtaining and using them during a real cardiac arrest.
JC: Finger on the Pulse? Read More
What does STAAMP add to the evidence for prehospital tranexamic acid after trauma? This 2020 appraisal examines the lack of a clear overall mortality benefit, recruitment and power limitations, safety findings and the caution needed when interpreting encouraging timing, shock and dosing subgroups.
JC: Should we rubber STAAMP prehospital TXA? Read More
Can TEG or ROTEM improve outcomes when added to major haemorrhage care? Natalie May reviews the iTACTIC trial’s comparison with conventional coagulation testing, separating faster treatment decisions from demonstrated patient benefit and examining the limits of its size and subgroup findings.
JC: Blood Products in Trauma – What’s the Best (I)TACTIC? Read More
An October 2020 appraisal of RECOVERY’s hydroxychloroquine results in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. It reviews the lack of demonstrated benefit, concerns about harm and the arguments about timing and dosage, alongside an explanation of how the platform trial was organised.
JC: Hydroxychloroquine in the the treatment of hospitalised COVID19 patients. Read More
