A March 2021 update on RECOVERY’s initial colchicine results in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. It reports the lack of a mortality benefit announced at the time, distinguishes these patients from community cases and notes that the full paper was still awaited.
Colchicine does not improve mortality in COVID19. St Emlyn’s Read More
Dan Horner takes a detailed look at the February 2021 RECOVERY tocilizumab preprint. The appraisal examines reported survival benefits alongside patient selection, incomplete follow-up, absolute versus relative effects and the uncertainties that remained behind the optimistic headlines.
Tocilizumabulous? A special offer on IL-6 with Tocilizumab. Read More
Does topical tranexamic acid reduce the need for nasal packing when initial epistaxis treatment has failed? This 2021 appraisal of the NoPAC trial examines its negative result, the importance of preceding first aid and vasoconstrictors, and limits to generalising across different types of bleeding.
JC: Epistaxis – The NoPAC trial – Does TXA work? Read More
How do patients want clinicians to explain COVID-19 tests, uncertainty and the possibility of dying? In this February 2021 podcast, Rick Body speaks with patient representatives Graham Prestwich and Val Tate about communication through PPE and what matters to patients and families.
Am I going to die? Communicating COVID-19 test results and risk Read More
The first February 2021 report of RECOVERY’s tocilizumab results, written as the announcement and preprint emerged. Simon Carley and Dan Horner outline the reported benefits in hospitalised patients with hypoxia and inflammation, while flagging the need for fuller appraisal and questions about immunosuppression.
JC: RECOVERY trial shows Tocilizumab effective for COVID19. St Emlyn’s Read More
What should emergency care performance measures tell us about patients’ experience and safety? Craig Ferguson examines the standards proposed in England in 2021, the strengths and weaknesses of the four-hour target, and why changes to measurement need evidence as well as good intentions.
New Clinical Standards for Emergency Care Read More
How much oxygen should critically ill patients receive? This January 2021 review of HOT-ICU examines lower versus higher oxygen targets in adults with hypoxic respiratory failure, the absence of a 90-day mortality difference and uncertainty about applying the findings to different patient groups.
Oxygen targets in critical care: The HOT-ICU trial. St Emlyn’s Read More
Joke Van kerkhoven draws on emergency medicine and elite sport to explore leading yourself under pressure. Written during COVID-19, this practical reflection covers mindset, breathing, planning and recovery, with ways to prepare for difficult situations and learn from them afterwards.
Lead yourself (through the COVID-19 pandemic). St Emlyn’s with Joke Van kerkhoven Read More
