Articles

What’s New in Trauma? (ATLS 10th Edition Updates)
The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) program was introduced in the 1980s to address the need for higher-quality trauma care, particularly in the “first hour” after injury, following an incident in which an orthopaedic surgeon crashed his plane in a rural setting....

Survival Tips for Night Shifts
In the 14 years or so that I worked regular night shifts in the Emergency Department, I’m not sure I can honestly say that I ever fully adapted to them. It is well recognised that there is an increased risk of poor decision-making and errors at night, and it is,...

Exchange Opportunities for Medical Students
As they navigate through Medical School, students are exposed to a varying number of opportunities, and among them gentle invitations to explore the medical perspectives of other nations. From in-class interactions with their colleagues from different parts of the...

The Management of Sore Throat
Sore throat is one of the most common presenting symptoms in the general practice setting. The most common cause of sore throat is viral infection. Commonly implicated viruses include rhinovirus, coronavirus, adenovirus, influenza and parainfluenza viruses. The most...

Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, both in the U.K. and worldwide. This prevalence of this devastating illness is increasing, partially due to rising rates of obesity, but also as a consequence of an ageing population. The...

Writing a Great Doctor’s CV
As a doctor, you have completed some very rigorous education and certification. You might even think that you don’t need to put much thought or effort into your CV because of how highly skilled and educated you are. But hiring managers still have things they are...

Claudius Galen
The Greek physician, Claudius Galen, is considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of Medicine. Galen was the greatest physician of his era and was also a skilled surgeon and renowned philosopher. He was responsible for numerous advances in the...

The Initial Trauma Assessment Part 2 – The Secondary Survey
In The Initial Trauma Assessment Part 1 we looked at the primary survey as advocated by the ATLS program and the ‘ABDCE’ approach to the initial assessment of the patient. Once the primary survey has been completed, resuscitative efforts are underway, and the...

The Initial Trauma Assessment Part 1 – The Primary Survey
The initial assessment and management of the seriously injured trauma patient is both challenging and anxiety-inducing for many clinicians. It is an undertaking that requires a cool head, systematic approach, speed, and good clinical judgement. The Advanced Trauma...

Blood Transfusion Reactions
Blood transfusion can be a life-saving treatment of great clinical benefit but also carries several risks and potential associated problems including: Immunological complications Administration errors (‘wrong blood’ episodes) Infections (bacterial, viral, possibly...