Using Emergency Medicine skills as a Boxing Ringside Doctor.
There is nothing that defines medicine more than the need to "make it better", and so, nailing analgesia is such a fundamental part of being a practitioner, especially in children.
Eyes are the windows to the soul. They have the power to mesmerise and enchant even the hardest of hearts. Yet, for many clinicians, they also instill genuine fear.
Why is this a hot topic? It is a sign of serious distress. It is common. It is strongly associated with suicide. Suicide is one of commonest causes death in young people. 200% increase in self harm 1985-1995. If ever you have the opportunity to save a young persons life - it is now.
In this blog we're talking about hyperglycaemia in the ED. There aren't any official guidelines on management, but our experience has shown that there's a huge variation in practice, and many cases are mismanaged.
I want to talk about Lisfranc fractures. I recently missed one and found out it is misdiagnosed 1 in 5 times! So thought it would be a good topic to talk about.
Medical student Max Sugarman tells RCEMLearning what triggered him to work on a hot debrief tool and how he went about implementing it.
Management of opiate overdose is simple. ABCDE assessment, support of oxygenation and respiration as necessary, and antagonise with naloxone if toxicity is severe. Everyone has their own take on it. But what about the ongoing care?
"Toni is a 35 year old lady who attends the emergency department regularly with chest pain. Nothing seems to make it better, and her troponin is always normal. You wonder if there is a potential cause. Read on to find out that there is more to IBS than abdominal pain."
The Annual Review of Competence Progression is an annual (!) assessment process, designed to ensure you are progressing through your training appropriately.
Answering complaints is an important role of the Emergency Department Consultant and it's now part of the RCEM management portfolio. We've made a few suggestions about how to answer complaints but everyone will have their own tips, so feel free to leave a comment or two.
ECGs can be challenging, right? And so can children. Add the two together and..arrghh - Paediatric ECGs!!