Emergency Medicine Journal Best evidence topic reports

Towards evidence-based emergency medicine: Best BETs from the Manchester Royal Infirmary

Baombe, J. — 2019-08-19T06:10:27-07:00

Best evidence topic reports (BETs) summarise the evidence pertaining to particular clinical questions. They are not systematic reviews, but rather contain the best (highest level) evidence that can be practically obtained by busy practising clinicians. The search strategies used to find the best evidence are reported in detail in order to allow clinicians to update searches whenever necessary. Each BET is based on a clinical scenario and ends with a clinical bottom line, which indicates, in the light of the evidence found, what the reporting clinician would do if faced with the same scenario again.

The BETs published below were first reported at the Critical Appraisal Journal Club at the Manchester Royal Infirmary1 or placed on the BestBETs website. Each BET has been constructed in the four stages that have been described elsewhere.2 The BETs shown here together with those published previously and those currently...

BET 1: The role of topical phenylephrine in non-traumatic epistaxis

Howard, L., Baombe, J. — 2019-08-19T06:10:27-07:00

A short cut review of the literature was carried out to establish whether topical phenylephrine was an effective treatment for non-traumatic epistaxis. A single paper looked at this modality comparing it to another topical treatment. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses are tabulated. It is concluded that further more robust studies are needed to answer this question.

BET 2: Predicting the need for endotracheal intubation in poisoned patients

Buswell, L., Hayes, A., Baombe, J. — 2019-08-19T06:10:27-07:00

A short cut review of the literature was carried out to establish whether any risk factors would predict the need for endotracheal intubation in undifferentiated adult patients presenting with poisoning/overdose with unknown substance. Five papers presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are tabulated. It is concluded that further robust studies of large cohorts are needed to answer this difficult question.