The opening instalment of a medical leadership series draws on Stephen Covey’s advice to be proactive. It explores focusing effort on what we can influence, responding to difficult situations according to our values and taking responsibility for how we work with patients and colleagues.
Leadership pearls from Stephen Covey part 1: Be proactive Read More
How common is pituitary dysfunction after serious head injury, and what should clinicians do about it? This 2014 journal club reviews a meta-analysis of patients requiring critical care, distinguishing evidence of endocrine abnormalities from unanswered questions about screening, treatment and outcomes.
JC: Anterior pituitary disorder following head injury Read More
Rick Body introduces the original Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes decision rule in this 2014 research report. He explains its derivation and external validation, how clinical features and biomarkers contribute to risk assessment, and the questions that still needed answering before routine use.
The MACS Rule: Immediate ‘rule in’ and ‘rule out’ for suspected cardiac chest pain Read More
A report from Retrieval 2014 in Glasgow, with a recorded talk on the first hour of paediatric sepsis aimed at generalists who care for children. Simon Carley also shares conference highlights on retrieval leadership, resilience, simulation and prehospital care.
Paediatric sepsis: The first hour. PLUS St.Emlyn’s at #Retrieval2014 Read More
Can ‘first, do no harm’ describe clinical practice when every useful intervention carries some risk? The third instalment of this ethics series explores benefit, harm and utilitarian reasoning, asking how clinicians can pursue a patient’s interests while respecting moral limits.
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
PECARN, CHALICE or CATCH: how should we compare decision rules for children with head injuries? This 2014 journal club examines a prospective comparison, weighing sensitivity against specificity and exploring how sample size, confidence intervals and the handling of observation affect the apparent winner.
JC: Duel of the Rules: Which decision rule for head injury in children? 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
