LITFL Update 075
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.
Know Your Lines: Adult and paediatric trauma radiograph guides covering key lines, angles, ratios, signs, and fracture classifications. The fracture is not always the hardest part to see. Sometimes it is the line you did not draw.
Adult Intubation Checklist: Emergency tracheal intubation is a time-critical procedure performed under substantial cognitive load. This adult intubation checklist covers preparation, pre-intubation pause, backup plans, and post-intubation care.
CXR Eponyms in Pulmonary Embolism: The classic chest x-ray eponymous terms of pulmonary embolism are often presented as isolated signs. In reality, they describe different vascular and parenchymal consequences of the same disease process.
Latest updates from the #FOAMed world
Cardiac POCUS can rapidly change management – but only if the image you’re interpreting is actually trustworthy. This excellent EM Mastery article explores common acquisition traps across PLAX, PSAX, apical, and IVC views, with practical tips for improving image quality at the bedside. A valuable reminder for every resuscitation clinician: before you interpret the physiology, trust the view.
A lab result sitting inside the “normal” range doesn’t necessarily mean it’s optimal – or even reassuring in the right clinical context. This episode of The Synapse Critical Care & Emergency Medicine Podcast explores the important difference between reference and optimal ranges, and why clinicians need to interpret numbers in context rather than simply accepting the laboratory flag. Well worth a listen.
Deep space infections can be easy to miss – and potentially devastating when they progress. This excellent Taming the SRU review walks through the recognition and ED management of peritonsillar abscess, Ludwig’s angina, retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal infections, and flexor tenosynovitis. A practical refresher on the anatomy, red flags, imaging, airway considerations, and importance of early source control.
Cardiac arrest rarely comes without warning. The challenge is recognising the trajectory before the pulse disappears. This post explores the physiological warning signs of peri-arrest deterioration, how to intervene early, and the role of temporising strategies such as push-dose adrenaline.
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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. Editor-in-Chief and Webmaster of Life in the Fast lane, LITFL | On Call 4e| Eponyms | Books | Horology |