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. EMJ - emj.bmj.com - is an international journal from the BMJ Group and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) covering developments and advances in emergency medicine and acute care. Stay informed with expert discussions and cutting-edge information by subscribing or listening on your favourite podcast platform. Podcast hosted by: Dr. Richard Bo...
Latest episodes
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34 min
Speedy sodium, and aortic balloon occlusion: Primary Survey October 2026
The hazards of rapid sodium correction in hyponatraemia are well known, and current guidelines recommend a "slow and steady" approach. But a new systematic review suggests that fas…
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28 min
PENG blocks for hip fractures, and a closer look at procedural sedation for kids: Primary Survey September 202…
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…
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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 s…
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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 d…
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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 overdose…
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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 declari…
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26 min
Sicker and longer is the trend in ED stays, and vaping is not just "smoking lite": EMJ Primary Survey April 20…
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-fl…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 ep…
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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, powerfu…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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-lif…
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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…
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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 pa…