Show Notes
One thing you'll never hear in the emergency department is the sound of silence. And if the hubbub should start to lower, woe betide the ED staffer who dares to say, "it's looking quiet tonight." But should we really be so concerned? A paper in this episode's roundup takes a look at superstition versus science. Staffing concerns is another ever-present topic when it comes to the ED, and Rick and Sarah share an insightful evaluation of the time saving offered by voice recognizing "AI scribes". The numbers show some serious benefits, but do they really work? The same question can be asked of the X-ray assessment tools that are rolling out in emergency departments across the world. Rick and Sarah take a look at a study detailing their affect on correct diagnoses. There's also also a case-based paper discussing practices for evaluating IUD-related issues using ultrasound. This is the final issue with Prof. Ellen Weber serving as the Editor-in-Chief of the Emergency Medicine Journal. Ellen's tenure has been a long and successful one, and everyone in the podcast team wishes her the best in retirement from the post.
Read the highlights: December 2025 primary survey
Passing the torch SONO case series: transabdominal pelvic point-of-care ultrasound of intrauterine devices in the emergency department Impact of ‘the Q word’ on hospital speciality activity levels: a narrative systematic review Observational service evaluation of voice recognition technology in the emergency department: association with electronic note-writing efficiency Evaluating the impact of AI assistance on decision-making in emergency doctors interpreting chest X-rays: a multi-reader multi-case study
The EMJ podcast is hosted by: Prof. Richard Body, EMJ Deputy Editor, University of Manchester, UK (@richardbody)Dr. Sarah Edwards, EMJ Senior Associate Editor and Social Media Editor, Royal Derby Hospital, UK (@drsarahedwards) You can subscribe to the EMJ podcast on all podcast platforms to get the latest podcast every month. If you enjoy our podcast, please consider leaving us a review or a comment on the EMJ Podcast Apple (https://apple.co/4bfcMU0) or Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3ufutSL) page.
More from EMJ Podcast
Hip fractures for older people are often severely painful. But, the common treatments like intravenous opioids can cause adverse effects like nausea and delirium. We discuss a new RCT that tests intravenous morphine vs. an ultrasound-guided block of the pericapsular nerve group (PENG), finding the PENG block to be a highly effective and safe alternative. We talk about the ten research priorities for paediatric emergency medicine distilled down by a mixed group of patients, carers, and healthcare professionals. Paediatrics sticks around with a Delphi approach study that delivers another ten pressing research questions for better ways to procedurally sedate kids. And, from the North West of England, we hear about a trial of reflective practice (Balint) groups with protected clinical time for resident doctors in emergency medicine training.
What social dynamics can be observed in the administration of bystander CPR? New research from Korea shows a reluctance to assist when the patient and bystander were of different sex. In the UK, a five year review of knife crime involving children and young people looks for trends in the background of the 145 victims who passed away in that period. From France, we have a study looking at the geographic distribution of cardiac arrest events, and to finish there is a scoping review highlighting the value of access to good translation.
This month, we start with a systematic review on smart ways to cut down unnecessary X-rays in kids with limb injuries. We also look at why subarachnoid haemorrhages get missed or diagnosed late, from both patient and doctor perspectives. A Best Evidence Topic (BET) review asks if simple haematoma blocks are as good as procedural sedation for resetting broken wrists. And finally, we dive into a UK study exploring what life is really like for early-career academic doctors in emergency care. Read the highlights: Primary survey (https://emj.bmj.com/content/43/7)
A new paper takes a look at fatalities in nightclubs across the UK in the last 15 years, based on media reporting and coroners' reports. It found that physical assault and overdoses of MDMA/ecstasy were the leading causes of deaths. Another paper, from Japan, addresses acute scrotum presentation. It set out to rate the use of the TWIST score and point-of-care ultrasound when identifying testicular torsion. Then here's a research paper from Australia looking at ways to avoid invasive diagnostic procedures when considering oesophageal perforation. And finally, a UK-wide study on the use of nasal-high flow asks: how widespread really is it? Read the highlights: Primary survey
Access to helicopter emergency services is improving in the UK, a recent study shows. But what impact is that access having? There's a paper for that too, with this episode declaring: "Helicopters for the win!" There's also research on the effect of epinephrine administration for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in children - does the sequence of treatment affect the outcomes? And finally, how to fight back against spoofed survey responses when gathering data online.