Death by Neurological Criteria and Organ Donation: Bill Knight Bill Knight explains the concept of death by neurological criteria and the complexities surrounding organ donation in such situations. Bill discusses the process of dying, the definition of death, how to approach the neurologically dead patient and how to consider organ donation. Death is a complex…
Healthcare Capacity Building in Fiji Dr Anne Creaton talks about the healthcare capacity building in Fiji. Cyclone Winston struck Fiji in 2016 and caused widespread devastation. The most important thing that Fiji has taught her is faith, patience and persistence. Anne begins by talking about the three Rs that are essential for working in resource…
Neonatal Intensive Care: Trish Woods Trish Woods guides you through some clinical pearls in the intensive care management of neonates. The complex physiology of the transitioning required in the journey from foetal life to neonatal presents many challenges and scary moments. Trish helps you to navigate these challenges and to unlock the key to providing…
Critical Care Haematology by Deirdre Murphy Deirdre talks ‘bad blood’ – the complex world of critical care haematology. Critically ill patients frequently have activation of inflammatory and clotting pathways. These are likely adaptive responses in the human. When they run riot, or the fine balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory states is shifted, there can be…
Mervyn Singer discusses the use of biomarkers in critical care. Multiple biomarkers – physiological, biochemical, biological – can prognosticate early in critical illness, even in the ED. These biomarkers are numerous – lipids, progesterone, troponin, thyroid stimulating hormone, inflammatory cytokines, mitochondrial dysfunction… so on and so forth! Prognostication can happen as early as the Emergency…
Jim Manning presents the how and why of adrenaline in cardiac arrest. The use of adrenaline in cardiac arrest resuscitation has been popular since the 1960s. Laboratory studies and anecdotal experience showed improved rates of return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) with the use of adrenaline at small dosages. This led to the widespread adoption of…
Trade-offs in Prehospital Critical Care: John Glasheen John Glasheen discusses the importance and challenges of trade-offs in prehospital critical care. Every Pre Hospital and Retrieval Medicine (PHARM) mission involves a series of complex decisions. These are made rapidly in a high-pressure environment. Excellent PHARM clinicians are invariably expert decision makers. The ability to identify, accept…
Communication with Children in Emergency Care: Roisin McNamara Roisin McNamara educates you on what not to do when communicating with children, and their families, in the Emergency Department. Roisin starts by explaining that communication is an information gathering and imparting exercise. It is used to build rapport, demonstrate our willingness to listen and assist. It…
Resuscitative Hysterotomy by Sara Gray Sara Gray presents an incredible case highlighting the importance of resuscitative hysterotomy. The story is full of drama, moments that went well and moments that went poorly. It demonstrates the key points when considering this emergency lifesaving procedure. The case is a woman who is eight months pregnant and has…
Science of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation David Halliwell presents the science of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Resuscitation means lots of things to different people – compression, CPR, mouth to mouth, ventilation, return to normal and reanimation all come to mind. But how and why does resuscitation really work – let David explain. This talk uses a case study approach…
