Emergency Medicine Blog
Articles, protocols and updates for emergency medical professionals
DSED: 8 Questions to the Principal Investigator of DOSE VF
Exclusive interview with Dr. Sheldon Cheskes, PI of the DOSE VF trial: 8 questions on double sequential external defibrillation for refractory VF in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
The 12-Minute Window: Where Trauma Patients Really Die
A study of 497 trauma deaths in London shows that 77% die before reaching hospital, median 12 minutes. The margin for improvement is entirely in the field.
The More Critical the Patient, the Less You Have to Decide
The brain under pressure doesn't work worse — it works differently. The more severe the situation, the less you have to decide. Here's why.
Territorial Emergency Medicine, Non-Conveyance and AI: My Conversation with JEMS
Mike Brown called me to talk about non-conveyance. We ended up discussing why AI in emergency medicine should be a librarian, not a judge.
AI and the Future of Emergency Call Response: From Human Triage to Augmented Triage
AI is entering emergency dispatch centers: from stroke recognition to miscoded calls, how machine learning is changing the way we respond to emergencies — and why it doesn't require million-dollar solutions.
Ukraine 2022–2026: Four Years of War Reshaping Trauma Protocols
Wars have always given back to civilian medicine more than they have taken. The Russo-Ukrainian war is no exception: the first large-scale, high-intensity conventional conflict in Europe since World War II is generating challenges — from the tourniquet called into question to drug-resistant bacteria
STEMI Criteria and Occlusive Infarction: A Meta-Analysis Challenges the Dogma
ECG STEMI criteria miss 1 in 3 coronary occlusions. A systematic review with meta-analysis questions the cornerstone of emergency cardiology. Is the OMI paradigm the answer?
Minute-by-Minute Post-ROSC Physiology: The Study That Changes the Rules
A new study from Ambulance Victoria links minute-by-minute defibrillator data to outcomes in 3,694 cardiac arrest patients — and challenges how we think about post-ROSC thresholds.
Acute Pulmonary Embolism — 2026 AHA/ACC Guidelines: What Really Changes
New 2026 AHA/ACC guidelines on acute pulmonary embolism: the 5 clinical categories A–E, what changes for EMS and Emergency Departments, and how to structure an effective PE-Alert.
Different Systems, Common Challenges
Two opposite systems, one question. Nick Nudell on fragmentation, governance, and the future of prehospital care across America and Europe.
Rural EMS and the Low-Volume Competency Challenge
When the rare call arrives, there's no time to prepare. Nick Nudell on staying ready.
Chest Pain in the Field: The 4 Questions That Make the Difference Between ACS and False Alarm
Chest pain in the field? 4 simple questions distinguish heart attack from false alarm in 2-3 minutes. Practical OPQRST: Onset, Quality, Radiation, Associated symptoms.