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The Briefing · Emergency & Critical Care

Continuous newsroom coverage of evidence in Emergency & Critical Care — newest first.

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24 stories
  1. Pediatric Knife Fatalities Linked to Deprivation and Prior Social Service Contact
    Emergency Medicine Journal ·Cohort Study · April 21, 2026

    Pediatric Knife Fatalities Linked to Deprivation and Prior Social Service Contact

    A five-year review of 145 deaths in England identifies high rates of pre-hospital mortality and significant psychosocial vulnerabilities.

  2. Vision-Enabled GPT Predicts Tube Thoracostomy Need in Spontaneous Pneumothorax
    Scandinavian Journal of Trauma Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine ·Diagnostic Accuracy Study · April 21, 2026

    Vision-Enabled GPT Predicts Tube Thoracostomy Need in Spontaneous Pneumothorax

    A retrospective study shows a generative model accurately measures apical depth and aligns with emergency department triage decisions.

  3. Routine ICU Delirium Screening Misses 72% of Cases in Spanish Speakers
    Critical Care Medicine ·Cohort Study · April 21, 2026

    Routine ICU Delirium Screening Misses 72% of Cases in Spanish Speakers

    Caregiver-administered assessments can recover nearly half of missed delirium diagnoses when patient-provider language barriers exist.

  4. Serious Games Reduce Geriatric Trauma Undertriage in Nontrauma Centers
    JAMA ·Randomized Controlled Trial · April 21, 2026

    Serious Games Reduce Geriatric Trauma Undertriage in Nontrauma Centers

    A randomized trial of 800 emergency physicians shows digital simulation training improves adherence to triage guidelines for older adults.

  5. Mobile ECMO Truck Matches In-Hospital Survival in Cardiac Arrest
    Resuscitation ·Case Series · April 21, 2026

    Mobile ECMO Truck Matches In-Hospital Survival in Cardiac Arrest

    A mobile ECMO truck delivering scene-based resuscitation achieved a 25% neurologically favorable survival rate, matching in-hospital care.

  6. Ambulance Lights and Sirens Save Only Three Minutes During Patient Transport
    Prehospital Emergency Care ·Cohort Study · April 21, 2026

    Ambulance Lights and Sirens Save Only Three Minutes During Patient Transport

    A study of 25,902 incidents suggests the modest time savings of emergent transport may not justify the tripled risk of collisions.

  7. AI Ensemble Matches Expert Consensus for Ultrasound Pneumothorax Detection
    Scandinavian Journal of Trauma Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine ·Diagnostic Accuracy Study · April 21, 2026

    AI Ensemble Matches Expert Consensus for Ultrasound Pneumothorax Detection

    An explainable AI model achieved 100% sensitivity and specificity, reducing false positives compared to clinicians in M-mode imaging.

  8. ILCOR Standardizes Reporting for Resuscitation Education Research
    Resuscitation ·Consensus Statement · April 21, 2026

    ILCOR Standardizes Reporting for Resuscitation Education Research

    A new Utstein style consensus report defines 111 specific metrics to unify how training efficacy is measured across clinical cohorts.

  9. Early EEG Findings Guide Shorter Sedation After Cardiac Arrest
    Resuscitation ·Non-Randomized Controlled Trial · April 21, 2026

    Early EEG Findings Guide Shorter Sedation After Cardiac Arrest

    Patients with favorable EEG patterns within 12 hours of arrest saw mechanical ventilation and ICU stays reduced by over 50 percent.

  10. Sepsis-Associated Respiratory Mortality Rises Over 25 Years
    Journal of Intensive Care Medicine ·Ecological Study · April 21, 2026

    Sepsis-Associated Respiratory Mortality Rises Over 25 Years

    A longitudinal analysis of 2 million deaths reveals a significant mortality surge during the pandemic and persistent demographic disparities.

  11. Open-Source Models Accurately Identify Pediatric Pneumonia in Radiology Reports
    Pediatric Emergency Care ·Diagnostic Accuracy Study · April 21, 2026

    Open-Source Models Accurately Identify Pediatric Pneumonia in Radiology Reports

    Large language models achieve F1 scores up to 0.97, surpassing traditional machine learning in classifying free-text chest X-ray reports.

  12. High-Dose Calcium Chloride Reduces 24-Hour Mortality in Trauma Patients
    Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care ·Cohort Study · April 21, 2026

    High-Dose Calcium Chloride Reduces 24-Hour Mortality in Trauma Patients

    A 1:2 ratio of calcium chloride to whole blood units lowered the odds of early death by 84% in a retrospective cohort study.

  13. Rapid Susceptibility Testing Speeds Antibiotic Adjustments but Not Outcomes
    JAMA ·Randomized Controlled Trial · April 21, 2026

    Rapid Susceptibility Testing Speeds Antibiotic Adjustments but Not Outcomes

    While rapid testing accelerated antibiotic adjustments by 14 hours, it did not improve 30-day survival or reduce deleterious events.

  14. Low-Calorie Feeding Does Not Worsen Kidney Function in Shock
    Intensive Care Medicine ·Randomized Controlled Trial · April 21, 2026

    Low-Calorie Feeding Does Not Worsen Kidney Function in Shock

    A post hoc analysis of 3,036 patients shows early restrictive diets are safe for the kidneys, even with preexisting dysfunction.

  15. Peri-Ictal MRI Abnormalities Predict 60% Seizure Risk After Status Epilepticus
    Neurology ·Cohort Study · March 20, 2026

    Peri-Ictal MRI Abnormalities Predict 60% Seizure Risk After Status Epilepticus

    Transient DWI and FLAIR changes within 48 hours of a first status epilepticus episode identify patients at high risk for epilepsy.

  16. Inhaled Methoxyflurane Avoids IV Sedation in Half of Prehospital Fractures
    Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine ·Cohort Study · March 19, 2026

    Inhaled Methoxyflurane Avoids IV Sedation in Half of Prehospital Fractures

    Inhaled methoxyflurane successfully facilitated prehospital limb reduction in 54% of patients without requiring intravenous sedation.

  17. Consensus Algorithm Standardizes Rural Air Medical Transport Triage
    Prehospital Emergency Care ·Consensus Statement · March 19, 2026

    Consensus Algorithm Standardizes Rural Air Medical Transport Triage

    A multidisciplinary panel used a Delphi survey to identify 18 patient factors and 6 interventions that warrant helicopter transport.

  18. Young Children Require Higher Benzodiazepine Doses for PICU Ventilation
    Journal of Intensive Care Medicine ·Cohort Study · March 19, 2026

    Young Children Require Higher Benzodiazepine Doses for PICU Ventilation

    A retrospective cohort study reveals that children under five receive significantly higher weight-adjusted doses of midazolam and lorazepam.

  19. Bedside Score Predicts Successful Dialysis Discontinuation in ICU Patients
    Intensive care medicine ·Cohort Study · March 19, 2026

    Bedside Score Predicts Successful Dialysis Discontinuation in ICU Patients

    The UNDERSCORE tool uses six routine clinical variables to help physicians determine if critically ill patients can safely stay off dialysis.

  20. Algorithm Predicts Mortality in Carbapenem-Resistant ICU Infections
    Journal of Intensive Care Medicine ·Cohort Study · March 18, 2026

    Algorithm Predicts Mortality in Carbapenem-Resistant ICU Infections

    A LightGBM model using routine clinical data accurately predicted 15-day mortality, highlighting coagulopathy and time to antibiotics.

  21. Opioid Medications Halve Mortality but Reach Only a Quarter of Patients
    JAMA ·Narrative Review · March 18, 2026

    Opioid Medications Halve Mortality but Reach Only a Quarter of Patients

    A clinical review details how optimizing methadone, buprenorphine, and naloxone can close the treatment gap and reduce all-cause mortality.

  22. Continuous Rocuronium Yields Modest Intracranial Pressure Reductions
    Journal of Intensive Care Medicine ·Cohort Study · March 18, 2026

    Continuous Rocuronium Yields Modest Intracranial Pressure Reductions

    A retrospective analysis reveals that continuous neuromuscular blockade lowers intracranial pressure by only 1 to 2 mm Hg in severe cases.

  23. Limiting ICU Wrist Restraints Fails to Increase Delirium-Free Days
    JAMA ·Randomized Controlled Trial · March 18, 2026

    Limiting ICU Wrist Restraints Fails to Increase Delirium-Free Days

    A restrictive wrist-strap protocol in mechanically ventilated adults did not improve delirium-free days or increase self-extubation risk.

  24. 12-Week Diet and Exercise Program Improves Post-ICU Physical Function
    Critical Care Medicine ·Randomized Controlled Trial · March 18, 2026

    12-Week Diet and Exercise Program Improves Post-ICU Physical Function

    A 12-week regimen of exercise and protein supplementation significantly improves physical functioning in long-stay ICU survivors.