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
July 7, 2011 by 10 Comments
A real case highlighting the challenges of managing the critically ill obstetric patient in remote regions of Australia.
All Bleeding Stops
March 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Epistaxis, hemophilia… what happens next? A harrowing clip from Jed Mercurio’s classic Cardiac Arrest TV show.
Anticoagulated Patients in the ED
January 30, 2011 by 1 Comment
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
September 19, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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
August 15, 2010 by 2 Comments
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
August 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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!?
July 6, 2010 by 1 Comment
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?
January 14, 2010 by 9 Comments
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
October 9, 2009 by Leave a Comment
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?
