Podcast · Health

EMJ Podcast

by BMJ Group · English · Health

The Emergency Medicine Journal (EMJ) podcast is your premier source for the latest insights and developments in pre-hospital, hospital emergency medicine and critical care. Join the EMJ journal’s Deputy Editor and Social Media Editor each month as they discuss key highlights from the latest issue.

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest: 7 Sep 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

7 Sep 2026 · 33 min

Cross-gender CPR and language barriers in emergency care: Primary Survey August 2026

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. We have recognised inequalities: now we must act Focusing…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

E131 · 29 Jul 2026 · 34 min
Paediatric imaging and haematoma blocks: Primary Survey July 2026
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) Interventions to reduce imaging…
E130 · 25 Jun 2026 · 30 min
Nightclub deaths and testicular twists: Primary Survey June 2026
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…
E129 · 21 May 2026 · 31 min
Helicopter rides and surveying impostors: Primary Survey May 2026
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. Read the highlights: Primary survey Sequence of advanced airway management and epinephrine administration for paediatric…
E128 · 10 Apr 2026 · 26 min
Sicker and longer is the trend in ED stays, and vaping is not just "smoking lite": EMJ Primary Survey April 2026
This month we've got a few papers on dealing with smoking - and not smoking - in the emergency department. The episode starts off with a discussion of a paper on automating high-flow nasal oxygen, and the importance of titration of oxygen levels - critical for patients with COPD. Then there's a paper questioning, can nicotine replacement therapy in the ED really work? This is followed by a research paper addressing the gaps in tracking of vaping and substance use - should doctors be asking more about use of vapes? To finish off the episode there's an analysis of the shifting trends in ED…
E127 · 2 Mar 2026 · 29 min
NHS strikes, Lebanon pager attacks, and maternal cardiac arrests: Primary Survey March 2026
What happens to an emergency department when staff go on strike? A new study published in EMJ examines this challenging scenario and its impact on patient flow. Another paper looks at the hybrid-warfare attack carried out in Lebanon, where exploding pagers caused a mass casualty incident, and what emergency departments can learn from managing that event. EMJ editor Prof. Richard Body adds some of his own reflections from the Ariana Grande concert terror attack in Manchester. Two more complex situations round out the list of papers for this episode, covering out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in…
E126 · 27 Jan 2026 · 27 min
Solving corridor care, and return of spontaneous circulation: Primary Survey February 2026
"Should we be giving blood transfusions to patients with traumatic cardiac arrest?" EMJ editor Prof. Richard Body and associate editor Dr. Sarah Edwards talk through some original research on the value of blood transfusions in this difficult situation. Next is the new UNCORKED study from the Trainee Emergency Research Network (TERN), with some sobering statistics on the prevalence of emergency care carried out in non-standard treatment places across the UK. Then we move to a world of high-pressure injuries, often caused by industrial spraying equipment, where things on the surface aren't…
E125 · 19 Dec 2025 · 29 min
Facial scarring, paracetamol overdose, and same day treatment: January 2026 Primary Survey
It's the first issue of 2026, and the first with new editor-in-chief Prof. Richard Body heading the journal. He is joined by senior associate editor Dr. Sarah Edwards, as they take a look at some highlights of the issue. First in the line-up is a paper looking at how "Same day emergency care" units, or SDECs, have come to mean quite different things across the UK. In some cases, the rule-out processing of SDECs harks back to "What the ED used to do" in past years. The next paper is an examination of the treatment methods for paracetamol overdose, specifically the SNAP protocol for…
E124 · 2 Dec 2025 · 25 min
"Don't say the Q word!" and relying on AI: December 2025 Primary Survey
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…
E123 · 5 Nov 2025 · 31 min
The riddle of Resusci Annie, explaining functional neurology, and flying doctors: November 2025 Primary Survey
Despite what the CPR doll might suggest, cardiac arrest patients are not always white, lean and male. So why is that the case for resuscitation training? The first paper in this episode addresses this lack of representation and the impact it has on resus performance. The next paper is a practice review of functional neurological disorder (FND), highlighting the poor diagnosis rate and history keeping for this condition, as well as offering ways to communicate with patients. There's also a paper on the dilemma of febrile infants with concurrent viral and bacterial infections, and another on…
E121 · 7 Oct 2025 · 25 min
“Whose turn is it?” - Moral injury and predicting wait times: October 2025 Primary Survey
The atmosphere of the emergency department can be a hard thing to put into words, with intense emotions washing over patients and staff alike. This month we feature a poem, powerfully illustrating the drama and stress inside the ED bubble. One of the recurring sources of uncertainty for patients is the question, “How long until I’m seen, doc?”, and there’s a paper following up on that issue with a personalised approach. A framework that has been employed by NHS England, aimed at dealing with the problem, is Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC). The next paper finds there is a limited evidence on…
E120 · 4 Sep 2025 · 38 min
Code status conversations, and attitudes towards asthma: September 2025 Primary Survey
"What is your understanding of your father's illness?" This is the kind of question that may be posed by emergency clinicians in the context of end-of-life care. But as a survey of Thai and American emergency departments finds, approaches to these conversations can be quite different globally. This episode also features another angle on end-of-life care, highlighting the persistent impact that deprivation has when it comes to likelihood of hospital conveyance. On a different subject, there is a qualitative study of the management of acute asthma presentations, seeking to find any marginal…
E119 · 1 Aug 2025 · 25 min
Inspecting tongues for appendicitis, and looking out for legal liability: August 2025 Primary Survey
A new paper on the challenging diagnosis of acute appendicitis has us wondering, can it be spotted with just a glance? The reality is never so simple. This episode we also discuss low-value overtesting, cardiac arrest trial consent, and patient discharge into police custody. As with many aspects of the ED, they each have a layer of legal pressure to consider. Read the highlights: August 2025 primary survey 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,…
E118 · 4 Jul 2025 · 27 min
Avoiding burnout, major incident preparedness, and suicide post-ED contact: July 2025 Primary Survey
The NHS plans to set up mental health emergency departments throughout England. A survey discussed this episode highlights the importance of mental health assessments, finding that nearly a quarter of suicide deaths in a one year period had come after hospital or emergency department contact. Another survey raises the question, "How well is your ED prepared for a major incident?" and the statistics do not inspire confidence. Two more papers in this episode offer potential bulwarks against burnout of ED staff: global health outreach work, and self-rostered rotas. But there may be some…
E117 · 5 Jun 2025 · 34 min
Salbutamol for analgesia, low-tech randomisation and cannulation numbing: June 2025 Primary Survey
Can salbutamol be used be used to relieve pain in renal colic patients? Starting off this month's episode, a randomised trial seeks to find the answer. Then a topic of interest for anyone seeing patients with a phobia of needles, namely a study comparing coolant spray with topical anaesthetic cream for reducing pain from intravenous cannulation. Next, randomisation is a necessary tool for many trials, but what if you want something that's less high-tech, and more high-street? That's right, scratch cards! And finally, fear of not making the right decision dominates when it comes to paramedic…
E116 · 1 May 2025 · 31 min
Acute palliative care, hands-free epistaxis relief, and modern laryngoscopy: May 2025 Primary Survey
A new survey has found that less than one third of end-of-life patients in Irish emergency departments have their own room. This is only one of the shortcomings found in end-of-life care, explored in two papers to start this episode. Following on from that is a comparison of video and direct laryngosocopy for intubation outcomes. There's also a "Best Evidence" review of the use of nasal clips for stopping nosebleeds, an approach which appears likely to offer advantages over the hands or inventive tongue-depressor contraptions. The finish up this month's episode, there's a return to a topic…
E115 · 1 Apr 2025 · 34 min
The walk-in wounded, detecting hypofibrinogenemia, and "time is testicle!": April 2025 Primary Survey
Trauma and paediatrics are the themes for this month's collection of papers. Starting off is a review of the effectiveness of prehospital ultrasound in detecting lung injury, with some surprising statistics. Next is a letter on the topic of self-presentation by paediatric patients with major trauma, which is thankfully a rare occurrence. The third paper looks at prehospital testing of trauma patients for low fibrinogen levels, a condition which can lead to worse bleeding, increased transfusions, and higher mortality. The final paper discusses the worrying topic of delayed presentation with…
E114 · 3 Mar 2025 · 31 min
Dementia care, supporting ACPs, and handling hidradenitis suppurativa: March 2025 Primary Survey
Advance clinical practitioners (ACPs) can have a big role to play in the emergency department, but their career paths are not always well understood. This episode features three papers from the journal which begin to address that - a census survey of over 1000 ACPs, a qualitative study on their experiences in emergency care, and a commentary on how to improve ACP training. There is also a paper from Canada discussing considerations to be made for patients living with dementia, as well as their care partners who may be accompanying them to the hospital. A bit of a curveball to close out, with…
E113 · 5 Feb 2025 · 28 min
Improving sex and gender equity, rapid virus testing and saline injections for pain relief: February 2025 Primary Survey
Another packed issue of the journal this month, and a podcast to match. Starting off with the Editor's Choice paper, on the important topic of sex and gender disaggregation in emergency medicine trials. Sex and Gender Equity Reporting (SAGER) guidelines were introduced in 2016 but poor adherence is still found in current publications. Next is a paper with high seasonal relevance, addressing the sensitivity and specificity of multiplex lateral flow tests for Flu A, Flu B and COVID 19. There's also a randomised controlled trial on nebulised corticosteroids for asthma exacerbation, and to…
E112 · 16 Jan 2025 · 28 min
Overcrowding in the emergency department, with Dr. Adrian Boyle and Prof. Ellen Weber
A special bonus podcast this time, on the perennial issue of crowding. Rick and Sarah are joined by Royal College of Emergency Medicine president Dr. Adrian Boyle, and EMJ's editor-in-chief Prof. Ellen Weber. They address recent evidence for crowding's harmful impact, the arm-twisting needed to shape policy, how it shapes patient confidence, and what the future of crowding looks like. Links: Association between delays to patient admission from the emergency department and all-cause 30-day mortality Being a patient in a crowded emergency department: a qualitative service evaluation The EMJ…
E111 · 7 Jan 2025 · 30 min
Warzone mentality in the ED, and finding balance with hospital pre-alerts: January 2025 Primary Survey
It's a celebration of qualitative research to start the new year, with a collection of papers offering new perspectives on emergency department issues. First is a pair of papers centred on the theme of pre-alerts to the emergency department. Setting the scene for a patient's arrival is a vital process, yet it can generate fear of criticism for getting the balance wrong, when it comes to over- and under-alerting. Following on is a paper taking a look at the human experience of working in the emergency department, and the war-like atmosphere that can be found there. This leads to the final…
E110 · 3 Dec 2024 · 26 min
Compelling evidence for rule-out of subarachnoid haemorrhage and aortic dissection: December 2024 Primary Survey
Subarachnoid haemorrhage is a diagnosis that can't be missed, but it is not a simple process to detect it. The first paper for discussion this month questions if a CT scan within 6 hours is sufficient for exclusion in patients with acute headache. Then there is a large-scale analysis of over 400 million ED visits in the USA, focussing in on the significant issue of self-harm in the homeless population. Next is a paper on a decision tool for suspected acute aortic syndrome, and to finish, a discussion on the change in ED culture around safety since the COVID pandemic. Read the issue…
E109 · 1 Nov 2024 · 30 min
Missing elbow fractures, and consulting the elders: November 2024 Primary Survey
Upper limb injuries make up about three-quarters of the limb injuries to children seen in the emergency department. But when it comes to the elbow, just how good are clinicians at diagnosing based on radiography? The first paper this month is a study putting over 300 global participants to the test. There's also a practice review highlighting the concept of shared decision making with frail elderly patients, a discussion of biomarkers for aortic dissection detection, more on telephone triage, and an interesting questionnaire on patient experience. Read the issue highlights: November 2024…
E108 · 1 Oct 2024 · 33 min
Ranking anaesthesias for wrist fracture, and finding pneumothoraces with AI: October 2024 Primary Survey
There's a whole pile of blocks in this month's papers, with the first being a trial of Erector-Spinae Plane (ESP) blocks, not for rib fractures as you might expect but Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) pain instead. Following on from that is a retrospective study comparing the resource utilisation of haematoma blocks, Bier’s blocks and procedural sedation for patients with forearm fractures. The next paper sets the performance of unassisted radiographers against those armed with artificial intelligence algorithms when diagnosing pneumothorax, and the results show an interesting demographic…
E107 · 4 Sep 2024 · 34 min
Inducting new doctors, and managing rib fractures: September 2024 Primary Survey
Being fallible was one of the most valued characteristics in a consultant, according to new doctors going through their induction - that's the subject of the first paper this month. Next up is a study on the impact of noise on hospital staff, which includes some simple interventions with measurable impact. There's also a discussion on pain relief for rib fractures, and how frailty scores are linked to 30-day mortality in patients. Read the issue highlights: September 2024 Primary SurveyArticles discussed in this episode: Qualitative study of new doctor induction and socialisation Reduced…
E106 · 2 Aug 2024 · 33 min
When to CT scan after a seizure, and indirect signs of appendicitis: August 2024 Primary Survey
The recovery of laceration repair patients is the topic of this month's first paper, looking at behavioural disturbances in children following these difficult medical procedures. The second paper deals with pre-hospital use of tranexamic acid for trauma, and surfaces some demographic discrimination in its rates of application. Next there is an observational study which has developed a score for indirect signs of appendicitis on ultrasounds where the appendix is not visualised. Finishing off the episode is a "Best Evidence" report, dealing with the appropriate usage of CT scans on patients…
E105 · 4 Jul 2024 · 26 min
Opioid toxicity, thrombectomy transfers, and austerity’s impact: July 2024 Primary Survey
What might yawning and sneezing be signs of in a patient? This month's podcast features new RCEM and NPIS guidance on acute opioid toxicity, outlining a number of symptoms to stay alert to. Before getting to that there's a paper on bypassing hospitals for patients needing mechanical thrombectomy, a study on how austerity affected emergency admissions across a range of UK local authorities, and some research on the immune-related adverse affects that can arise in the ED amongst oncological patients. Read the issue highlights: July 2024 Primary Survey Articles discussed in this episode:…
E104 · 6 Jun 2024 · 32 min
Patient self-perception, and presentations of headache: June 2024 Primary Survey
How well do patients in the emergency department judge the severity of their situation? Some may fear the worst for any hospital visit, and others not realise that their lives are in danger. This month's first paper is a review of the accuracy of self-prognostication and its relation to admission, severity, and length of stay. Then there's a trio of publications on the challenges of pain in various forms. Starting with a study on the links between red flags in headache assessment, and serious secondary headaches. Next there is a letter, questioning how well pain management is done in the ED.…
E103 · 9 May 2024 · 30 min
Interventions for smoking cessation, AI CT scan triaging, and cyclic vomiting: May 2024 Primary Survey
Should we be bringing preventative medicine into the emergency department, or is it just using up valuable time? Our first paper this month looks at the "Cessation of Smoking Trial in the Emergency Department (COSTED)" trial, which presents the case for opportunistic smoking cessation intervention. Next up is a topical research paper on interpreting CT scans with artificial intelligence, and how machine assessment measures up against experienced physicians. Then there's a trio of troponin papers, discussing high-sensitivity testing. The final paper this time is not a paper but a guideline…
E102 · 5 Apr 2024 · 31 min
Suspicious chest pain, inequality in COVID outcomes, and staff retention problems: April 2024 Primary Survey
“Social distancing is a privilege,” is the core message underlying the first paper brought by Sarah to this month’s roundup, as it unpacks the stark differences in COVID-19 outcomes across the spectrum of racial and ethnic groups in the United States. A second paper examines the returning rates of COVID patients across a large group of emergency departments in Canada, and the factors at play there. The final topic is one of Rick’s favourites, focusing on troponin testing in ambulances. Articles discussed in this episode: Pandemic phase-related racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19…

About EMJ Podcast

EMJ Podcast is a English health podcast from BMJ Group. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: BMJ Group
Language: English
Category: Health
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 30 min
Latest episode: 7 Sep 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id445358244

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