LITFL Update 071
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 top of your field.
Can’t Intubate Can’t Oxygenate (CICO): CICO occurs when adequate alveolar oxygen delivery cannot be achieved despite best attempts at all three upper airway rescue techniques: face mask ventilation, supraglottic airway ventilation, and tracheal intubation.
The 18 Best Computed Tomography Training Courses: CT sits at the centre of modern acute care, yet most clinicians who order and act on scans never received computed tomography training. We compared the leading options, favouring those for non-radiologists.
De Quervain Disease: De Quervain disease is a painful stenosing tendinopathy of the first dorsal compartment of the wrist, involving the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons as they pass over the radial styloid.
Latest updates from the #FOAMed world
CHANTER syndrome is a rare but increasingly recognised neurological complication of opioid toxicity that can rapidly progress to cerebellar oedema, hydrocephalus, and brain herniation. This excellent Tox Card reviews the key clinical features, characteristic imaging findings, and emergency management pearls, reminding clinicians when persistent altered consciousness should prompt urgent neuroimaging and specialist consultation.
Should every ACS patient receive 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy? When is aspirin alone enough after stroke? What do you do when the surgeon wants to stop antiplatelets before an operation? This practical review translates the latest 2026 evidence into simple bedside decisions, helping emergency clinicians balance thrombosis against bleeding when every choice matters.
A patient arrives in severe respiratory distress with loud inspiratory stridor – but the oxygen saturation is normal, bronchodilators aren’t working, and intubation may make things worse. This excellent review explores Inducible Laryngeal Obstruction (ILO), a commonly missed mimic of asthma and upper airway emergencies, with practical tips to recognise it early and avoid unnecessary airway interventions. Essential reading for anyone working in emergency care.
A patient arrives critically unwell with fever, tachycardia, and altered mental status – but is it sepsis, or something far less common? This month’s Case of the Month walks through the recognition, diagnosis, and management of thyroid storm using a real-world case, highlighting key clinical clues, bedside ultrasound findings, and practical emergency department management. A great refresher on a rare diagnosis you can’t afford to miss.
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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 |