Today we had our 1st Junior Doctor Prize Presentation for 2014. Thank you to Beth Harrison, Chris Smith, Su Ying Ong, Catriona Fullarton, Rachael Imrie and Kirsty Mitchell for excellent presentations that truly showed the diversity and complexity of the patients that we treat in the Emergency Department. The cases provided food for thought for all of us in the audience, as can be seen from the range of learning points attained from just 6 cases:
- Common things are common, but don’t miss the rare life-threatening cause.
- Sepsis can present atypically in immunocompromised patients
- Recognition of ‘cold sepsis’
- Intoxicated patients are commonly difficult to assess
- Monro-Kellie Doctrine relating to the ‘lucid interval’ in intracerebral bleeds
- Posterior Circulation Strokes (POCS) account for 20-25% of ischaemic strokes, CT has poor sensitivity for POCS, and headache is a presenting feature in 28% of POCS
- Use and limitation of abdominal X-rays in the ED
- Abdominal Xrays can be used for the radiological diagnosis of gallstone ileus - Riglers Triad
- Pathogenesis & diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura in the ED
- Significance of a positive β-HCG in the non-pregnant patient
And so last, but by no means least…
…Congratulations to Beth Harrison who won the prize and will have her name forever emblazoned on the board (with whiteboard pen) in the Emergency Department teaching room, and Chris Smith for runner up.
Also thanks to Dr Caesar and Dr Clegg for being our expert judging panel.