LITFL Update 055
Sending you free open-access medical (FOAM) content from around the globe. We keep an eye on all the trends and best articles and share them with you so that you stay on top of your field.
Eponymous Herniae: When we describe site, sac contents, and status (reducible, incarcerated, strangulated), eponymous hernias capture what’s inside the sac or where the defect lies: Amyand’s hernia, Bochdalek hernia, de Garengeot’s Hernia and more.
Brain Herniation Cases: Today we present the next cases in our Neuroimaging Case Studies Series in which we share a clinical case, brief literature review, and concise summary recommendations.
Gallstone Ileus: A mechanical bowel obstruction caused by one or more gallstones entering the gastrointestinal tract via a biliary-enteric fistula, most often cholecystoduodenal. Epidemiology, aetiology and pathophysiology, key imaging features, and history.
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Dr. P.O. Berve is an Anaesthetist and Pre-Hospital Physician based in Oslo, serving on the region’s physician response car. His contributions to resuscitation science have been nothing short of transformative. Dr. Berve’s research has been foundational to our modern understanding of CPR physiology and the haemodynamics of the arrested patient, and his work is widely recognised as essential to the evolution of physiology-guided resuscitation.
The traditional way of categorising ischaemic strokes as ‘minor’ vs ‘major’ is no longer relevant to what we do in the ED. It’s now about ‘disabling’ vs ‘non-disabling’ strokes. And this is no small change. This categorisation dictates urgency of ED work-up and treatments, imaging choices, treatment decisions and goals of care. In this Part 1 of our 2-part main episodes EM Cases podcast series on management of ischaemic stroke with Dr. Walter Himmel and Dr. Katie Lin, we answer questions like: How can we best rapidly determine if an ischaemic stroke is disabling or non-disabling at the bedside?
A fever lasting more than five days in a child can be deceptively tricky. While most cases are caused by everyday infections, persistent fevers require a systematic approach to avoid missing the dangerous “zebras.” This DFTB article walks you through red flags, smart investigation steps, and the key serious conditions you must keep on your radar — from Kawasaki disease to HLH and malignancy.
In laryngoscopy, the space between the tongue and epiglottis — the vallecula — isn’t just another landmark; it’s a biomechanical lever. The article argues we should shift from “finding the vallecula” to actively engaging it (“valleculation”), to elevate the epiglottis and expose the glottis, improving intubation success and reducing trauma. It offers clear teaching tips, common performance errors and a sharper language framework for airway training.
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Emergency nurse with ultra-keen interest in the realms of toxicology, sepsis, eLearning and the management of critical care in the Emergency Department | LinkedIn |
BA MA (Oxon) MBChB (Edin) FACEM FFSEM. Emergency physician, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Passion for rugby; medical history; medical education; and asynchronous learning #FOAMed evangelist. Co-founder and CTO of Life in the Fast lane | On Call: Principles and Protocol 4e| Eponyms | Books |