Background Unless emergency departments have adequate capacity to meet demand, they will fail to meet clinical and performance standards and will be operating in the ‘coping zone’. This carries risks ...

Background/aim In ED chest pain patients, a 0-hour/1-hour protocol based on high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) tests combined with clinical risk stratification in diagnosing acute coronary ...

Background Establishing intravenous access is often vital in an acute hospital setting but can be difficult. Ultrasound-guided cannulation increases success rates in prospective studies. However, ...

Prolongation of the QT interval is a serious electrocardiogram finding because of its association with torsades de pointes and sudden cardiac death.1 Both congenital and acquired factors can lead to ...

Highlights from this issue Challenges in research Diagnostic testing Cardiac arrest Addressing violence Emerging concerns Best Evidence Topic Reports Journal update ...

Emergency departments (EDs) in many developed countries are experiencing increasing pressure due to rising numbers of patient presentations and emergency admissions. Reported increases range up to 7% ...

Background Aeromedical transfer of acutely unwell mental health (AMH) patients presents potential risks to patient, staff and aircraft. Pharmacological options to reduce risk can impair consciousness, ...

Background Streaming and redirection in the ED involves the assessment, triage and prioritisation of patients. Lower acuity patients can be streamed to alternative services within the hospital or ...

Cohort, cross sectional, and case-control studies are collectively referred to as observational studies. Often these studies are the only practicable method of studying various problems, for example, ...

Objective To describe the population of patients who attend emergency departments (ED) in England for mental health reasons. Methods Cross-sectional observational study of 6 262 602 ED attendances at ...

Background The term ‘moral injury’ may be useful in conceptualising the negative psychological effects of delivering emergency and prehospital medicine as it provides a non-pathological framework for ...

The threat of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents is unlikely to decrease and preparations to deal with this type of incident are well established in most European emergency ...