Intranasal ketamine or fentanyl for children with painful fractures? This 2018 appraisal compares pain relief and reported side effects in a small randomised trial. It explains why similar pain scores do not prove equivalence, and why the selected patient group limits how widely the results can be applied.
JC: Intranasal Ketamine vs. Fentanyl for kids. St. Emlyn’s Read More
Iain and Simon revisit January 2018 on the St Emlyn’s podcast. The linked discussions include devastating brain injury, dizziness, clinical reflection, CRYOSTAT-2 and the ADRENAL trial, alongside conference reports and working in Africa. The episode brings together that month’s clinical evidence, education and professional perspectives.
St Emlyn’s January 2018 in review Read More
An archive of the Manchester launch party announcement for SMACC 2019, scheduled for 10 March 2018 alongside events in Sydney and New York. It describes St Emlyn’s role as European host and plans to reconnect the community and preview educational content from dasSMACC.
SMACC IS BACK LAUNCH PARTY 10/3/18 in Manchester with St.Emlyn’s Read More
Stevan Bruijns reflects on working across South African and UK emergency care, challenging assumptions about who teaches and who learns. His account considers the risks of overseas placements, reciprocal learning and practical ways to support colleagues in lower-resource settings, including collaborations that do not require travel.
Is there anything else I need to know? Working in Africa. Read More
Belgium’s 2018 BeSEDiM symposium brought together decision-making, simulation, wellbeing and clinical debate. This report explores hierarchy and feedback in teams, practical toxicology cases and discussions of advanced resuscitation, while reflecting on the growth of emergency medicine and the value of a connected professional community.
Belgian EM at BeSEDiM 2018. Read More
Did hydrocortisone improve outcomes in septic shock in the ADRENAL trial? This 2018 appraisal examines the absence of a demonstrated 90-day mortality benefit alongside secondary findings on shock resolution and time in intensive care. It explores trial design, patient selection and the limits of subgroup interpretation.
JC: The End of the ‘Roid? ADRENAL Read More
How can reflection become useful learning rather than a compulsory portfolio exercise? Natalie May explores planned and spontaneous reflection, patient follow-up, feedback and the biases that shape our accounts. Her article and accompanying podcast consider how educators can create safer, more meaningful opportunities to learn from practice.
Distinguishing peripheral dizziness from posterior circulation stroke can be difficult in the emergency department. This 2018 review discusses bedside assessment, including nystagmus, HINTS, neurological examination and gait. It emphasises the knowledge and practice needed to use these techniques, rather than offering a simple discharge rule.
JC: Can I safely discharge dizzy patients from the ED? Read More
