Emergency medicine journal
Audio Summaries

Concordance between an artificial intelligence self-triage programme and physical triage

Jun 23, 2026

The authors aimed to evaluate the concordance between the Dutch National Triage Standard (NTS) and an artificial intelligence (AI) self-triage program in emergency departments. Their findings indicated a slight agreement between the two methods, with the AI program showing a tendency to overtriage and undertriage in some cases, while also identifying more patients with serious clinical outcomes. They concluded that although the AI triage demonstrated potential for improved urgency classification, further refinement and validation are necessary before its implementation in healthcare settings.

Real-time identification of aetiology in patients able to undergo transoesophageal echocardiography with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in China: a prospective, single-centre exploratory study

Jun 18, 2026

This study investigates the feasibility and effectiveness of transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in rapidly identifying reversible aetiologies during resuscitation of patients with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in China. The authors found that TEE successfully provided diagnostic-quality images and identified aetiologies in 39% of cases, with acute aortic dissection being the most common. However, the study concludes that further controlled investigations are needed to establish TEE's role as a complementary tool in this context.

Risk of obstructive acute kidney injury: derivation and internal validation of a risk stratification tree

Jun 18, 2026

The authors aimed to develop and validate a predictive model, the Kidney Injury Tree For Identification of obSTructive Origin (KIT-FISTO), for identifying obstructive acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients presenting to the emergency department. Through a retrospective study, they classified patients into high, moderate, and low-risk categories based on clinical symptoms and history, achieving high sensitivity for low-risk classification. The model shows promise but requires further external and prospective validation before clinical implementation.

Sex-based and gender-based details in accelerated diagnostic protocol implementation among emergency department patients presenting with chest pain: a systematic review

Jun 17, 2026

This systematic review investigates how sex-based and gender-based factors are incorporated in accelerated diagnostic protocols (ADPs) for adult patients presenting with chest pain in emergency departments. The authors found that while most studies reported participant sex, only a small percentage explicitly analyzed or applied sex and gender considerations, indicating a significant gap in addressing these factors in cardiac care. The review calls for enhanced integration of sex and gender in future research to improve patient outcomes.

Prediction of bloodstream infection using triage variables in the emergency department: retrospective derivation and validation cohort

Jun 10, 2026

The authors aimed to develop and validate a simple risk score, the GOTHIC score, for predicting bloodstream infections in febrile patients in the emergency department using variables assessable at triage. Through a retrospective analysis of 6,740 patient visits, they identified seven key triage factors associated with bloodstream infections, allowing for improved decision-making regarding blood culture testing. The study highlights the potential for this score to enhance triage efficiency and reduce unnecessary blood cultures.

Same day emergency care for low back pain: quality improvement to support emergency flow and reduce unnecessary acute admissions

Jun 9, 2026

The authors aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a same day emergency care (SDEC) pathway for managing low back pain (LBP) in order to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. Over a two-year quality improvement project, they implemented the SDEC unit and monitored referral patterns, admissions, and MRI utilization, ultimately achieving a significant reduction in admissions from 31% to 8% while maintaining patient satisfaction. This study highlights the potential of structured emergency care pathways to improve patient outcomes and streamline emergency department processes.

In adult patients with suspected sepsis, is adjunct resuscitation with human albumin solution associated with improved patient-oriented outcomes?

Jun 9, 2026

This systematic review investigates whether adjunct resuscitation with human albumin solution (HAS) improves patient-oriented outcomes in adult patients with suspected sepsis. The analysis of three relevant studies indicates that HAS is not recommended for use in the emergency department for this purpose, highlighting the need for larger studies to further explore this clinical question.

Association between the time to norepinephrine initiation and mortality in patients with sepsis

Jun 9, 2026

This study investigates the relationship between the timing of norepinephrine initiation and 28-day all-cause mortality in sepsis patients. The findings indicate that delayed initiation of norepinephrine is associated with higher mortality rates, with starting treatment within the first 60 minutes of hypotension significantly reducing the risk of death. The authors conclude that timely norepinephrine administration is crucial for improving outcomes in sepsis.

Ambulance offload delays and patient outcomes: a systematic review

Jun 4, 2026

The authors conducted a systematic review to investigate the relationship between ambulance offload delays and patient outcomes, particularly focusing on whether these delays contribute to patient harm. While the review found that offload delays are linked to longer emergency department stays, the evidence regarding their impact on clinical outcomes, such as mortality, remains inconclusive due to methodological limitations and variability in definitions of offload delay. The authors emphasize the need for further research to clarify the potential adverse effects of these delays on patient care.

Refreshing the paediatric emergency medicine research priorities across the UK and Ireland

Jun 1, 2026

The authors aimed to refresh the research priorities for paediatric emergency medicine (PEM) in the UK and Ireland, recognizing the need for updated input from patients and carers alongside healthcare professionals. Utilizing James Lind Alliance methodology, they gathered and prioritized research questions, ultimately identifying the top 10 priorities that will guide the PEM research agenda for the next decade. This study highlights the evolving landscape of healthcare needs and the importance of stakeholder involvement in shaping research directions.