Could a 14F pigtail catheter replace a larger chest drain for traumatic haemothorax? This 2021 appraisal examines a multicentre randomised trial, weighing drainage failure, patient discomfort and statistical uncertainty, with particular attention to the exclusion of patients needing immediate emergency drainage.
JC: Can we use smaller pigtail drains in traumatic haemothorax? Read More
Why do stories make such powerful teaching tools? Revisiting his EuSEM 2021 talk, Simon Carley explores how patient narratives engage learners and connect clinical experience with evidence, with an animation and links to his fuller discussion of storytelling.
#EuSEM21 The power of stories in Emergency medicine education revisited. Read More
Can cardiac output help explain patient flow? This article uses preload, contractility and afterload as a metaphor for arrivals, staff and resources, and exit block, showing why changes to one part of urgent care must account for the whole system.
Patient Flow in Urgent Care Read More
How reliably do symptoms and examination findings identify cauda equina compression? This 2021 appraisal reviews a retrospective MRI cohort, questioning the diagnostic value of digital rectal examination while explaining why individual findings and a single-centre study cannot safely settle the diagnosis.
Re-evaluating risk factors for Cauda Equina Read More
A 2021 appraisal of early CT coronary angiography for patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome. It examines a UK randomised trial’s patient outcomes, use of invasive angiography and limitations, asking whether routine CTCA is justified in this selected population.
JC: CTCA for cardiac chest pain in the ED. St Emlyn’s Read More
Iain and Simon’s August 2021 podcast round-up revisits highlights from the blog. The linked notes cover the RECOVERY-RS respiratory-support trial, therapeutic anticoagulation in hospitalised COVID-19 patients and findings from the 2020 emergency medicine trainees’ survey.
Podcast – August 2021 Monthly Round Up Read More
Anisa Jafar and Anthony Joseph work through a pregnant trauma patient’s arrival, assessment and resuscitation. This 2021 overview covers team preparation, pregnancy-specific physiological considerations, fetal monitoring and obstetric complications, with maternal resuscitation at the centre of the approach.
Trauma in pregnancy: Core knowledge and key skills. St Emlyn’s Read More
Simon Carley’s selection of ten trauma papers for the 2021 Trauma Care UK conference spans haemorrhage control, airway intervention and traumatic brain injury. The review considers what the findings add to practice and where trial design or uncertainty limits their interpretation.
Top 10 Trauma Papers for Trauma UK conference. 2020-2021. St Emyln’s Read More
