Trauma! Major Haemorrhage

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The Trauma! series rocks on… Finally we get to major haemorrhage. This Q&A post tackles the resuscitation of the exanguinating trauma patient.

Planes, Pregnancy and Bleeding

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A real case highlighting the challenges of managing the critically ill obstetric patient in remote regions of Australia.

All Bleeding Stops

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Epistaxis, hemophilia… what happens next? A harrowing clip from Jed Mercurio’s classic Cardiac Arrest TV show.

Anticoagulated Patients in the ED

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It’s time for a look at the latest review from EBMedicine: An Evidence-Based Approach to Managing the Anticoagulated Patient in the ED.

A Stroke of Insight

A few years ago I was looking after an elderly woman in the emergency department who had suffered a stroke. She was aphasic — unable to understand speech or create comprehensible sentences. I explained to her family what had happened to her. Then her daughter asked me a question for which I hadn’t prepared an answer: “What does it feel like to have a stroke?”

The Ocular Ultrasound Challenge

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Eyes are the perfect organ for ultrasound assessment in the emergency department. Think you know all about ocular ultrasound? Let’s find out…

Flashing and Floating

A patient has ‘flashes and floaters’ affecting his vision. What could be the causes? What is appropriate assessment and management in the emergency department?

Recombinant Factor VIIa to the rescue!?

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The trauma room has turned into a blood bath. You’re going to have to buy new shoes. What should you throw at the patient – the kitchen sink or Factor seven?

Are Redheads Bleeders?

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I first became aware that redheads were treated differently in medicine when I started hanging around anaesthetists. Most anaesthetists i know tend to get slightly more uptight when they see the phaeomelanin-laden locks of a freckled UV-sensitive patient. Especially in obstetrics. Why is this you ask?

Supratherapeutic INR

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A 70 year-old man has presented to your emergency department to get his INR checked. It is markedly elevated – how should you manage this?