LITFL Update 077
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.
ECG Case 139: A 71-year-old man is brought to the emergency department after feeling persistently light-headed and unwell at home for the past hour. He is alert and conversant, with no chest pain or breathlessness at rest.
Anatomy for Bronchoscopy: Airway anatomy is highly relevant to diagnosis and management in critical care. Safe bronchoscopy depends on 3 skills: maintaining orientation, recognising normal anatomy and common variants, and identifying abnormalities.
William Cadogan: A Welsh physician (1711–1797) who wrote the 1748 Essay upon Nursing and the Management of Children, and a contentious 1771 gout treatise; pioneer of childcare and lifestyle medicine.
Latest updates from the #FOAMed world
Chest pain, dynamic ECG changes, but a normal coronary angiogram. What are we missing? Cardiac syndrome X challenges the assumption that unobstructed coronary arteries mean no cardiac pathology. In this excellent review, Dr Peter Kas explores coronary microvascular dysfunction, diagnostic challenges, treatment options, and why this condition matters for emergency clinicians assessing recurrent chest pain.
Is normal saline really the villain we’ve made it out to be? The massive PRoMPT trial involving over 8,000 children with suspected septic shock found no significant difference in major adverse kidney events between saline and balanced crystalloids. Justin Morgenstern from First10EM challenges long-held beliefs and asks whether our fluid preferences are actually supported by evidence.
Lupus is more than a butterfly rash. When a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus deteriorates, is it infection, inflammation, or thrombosis? From diffuse alveolar haemorrhage to lupus nephritis and catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome, this practical review explores the life-threatening complications, diagnostic traps, and resuscitation priorities every emergency clinician should recognise.
Blood pressure tells us about pressure, but what about flow and congestion? This excellent RECAPEM review explores how bedside Doppler ultrasound can transform haemodynamic assessment. From VExUS and venous congestion to arterial waveforms, cardiac output, and organ perfusion, it provides a comprehensive, visually rich guide to understanding the circulation beyond conventional vital signs. Essential reading for resuscitationists.
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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 |