How should traumatic cardiac arrest differ from a standard resuscitation algorithm? Natalie May reflects on a difficult early experience and reviews the 2012 debate around reversible causes, chest compressions, ultrasound and emergency thoracotomy, including the uncertainty created by small observational studies.
Traumatic Cardiac Arrest – Apply Some Pressure..? Read More
Could some children needing wound care avoid procedural sedation? Simon Carley’s 2012 reflection describes how LAT gel changed practice in his department, while distinguishing relief of pain from management of fear and distress, and considering when additional sedation may still be needed.
Please use less Ketamine – LAT Gel at St.Emlyn’s Read More
Does this patient need an arterial blood gas, and what will you do with the result? This 2012 discussion challenges routine arterial sampling, considers venous gases and pulse oximetry, and argues for choosing investigations that answer a specific clinical question while minimising avoidable pain.
V & A in the ED – blood gases – St.Emlyn’s Read More
Mushroom poisoning can present very differently depending on the species involved. This 2012 overview considers fly agaric, death cap and deadly webcap exposures, including delayed liver or kidney injury, and reflects on the difficulties of making treatment decisions when the evidence is limited.
Where’s the fun in fungi? – St.Emlyn’s Read More
How should a clinical topic review be organised for assessment? In this 2012 FCEM preparation article, Simon Carley connects the written structure with the published marking scheme and explains how the written review, examiner discussion and viva fitted together.
CTR – the link between structure and marking at FCEM Read More
Turning an interesting question into a clinical topic review takes more than writing up the evidence. This 2012 FCEM preparation guide discusses planning, feedback and revision, explaining why early conversations with colleagues can prevent a promising project reaching submission before its weaknesses are recognised.
CTR – How to put it together for FCEM. Read More
What should we say before intubating someone who may never regain consciousness? Through a hypothetical major-burns case, Simon Carley explores honesty, reassurance and the opportunity for final conversations, asking whether comforting words serve the patient and family or the resuscitation team.
Little white lies in the resus room – St.Emlyn’s Read More
What does a positive or negative test result really tell us? Part two of the Risky Business series explores diagnostic thresholds, false positives and false negatives, and why the neat categories in a research table do not remove uncertainty for the clinician treating an individual patient.
Emergency Medicine, a risky business part 2. Read More
