Latest Emergency Medicine research

Top 10 this week

Week of 20 September 2026

1. 1

   Superior-head automated external defibrillator placement during single-rescuer cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a randomized crossover simulation study and retrospective multicenter cohort

   Frontiers in public health · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 3 September 2026

   Superior-head AED placement improves single-rescuer CPR efficiency

2. 2

   Accuracy of ventilation feedback devices compared with a reference standard during asynchronous ventilation with continuous chest compressions in a simulated cardiac arrest: a prospective non-randomized cross-over study

   Resuscitation plus · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 1 September 2026

   Ventilation feedback accuracy during CPR

3. 3

   RhD-Positive Whole Blood for Patients With Reproductive Potential After Two Randomized Trials of Prehospital Trauma Resuscitation

   Obstetrics and gynecology · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 15 September 2026

   RhD‑positive whole blood lacks survival benefit

4. 4

   Early Versus Late Tracheostomy: An Umbrella Review and Meta-Analysis

   Journal of clinical medicine · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 28 August 2026

   Early vs late tracheostomy umbrella review

5. 5

   Consensus Recommendations for Patients with Complex Dispositions: A Modified Delphi Study Among the Strengthening Essential Emergency Departments (SEED)

   Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open · Q1 journal · Guideline · Evidence level 1 (High) · 9 September 2026

   A modified Delphi process with 35 emergency-medicine experts reached consensus on the term "patients with complex dispositions," defined as individuals who require hospitalization because of discharge planning barriers despite lacking an acute condition. The group also identified five major barriers and six actionable recommendations, urging broader stakeholder validation and multidisciplinary research to address this overlooked patient group.

6. 6

   Psychosocial interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder in low- and middle-income countries: a Bayesian meta-analysis

   Psychological medicine · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 17 September 2026

   A Bayesian meta-analysis of 55 randomized trials (5,041 adults) found that psychosocial interventions produced a large between-group effect size of about -1.3 standard deviations for PTSD symptoms, with benefits persisting at follow-up and also improving depression and anxiety. Effects were strongest for trauma-focused, face-to-face treatment and older participants, but more high-quality trials are needed, especially in low-income settings.

7. 7

   Aspirin vs. Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin in Orthopedic Trauma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

   Journal of clinical medicine · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 31 August 2026

   Aspirin vs LMWH meta‑analysis in orthopedic trauma

8. 8

   The impact of therapy-led hand clinics for the treatment of acute hand injury: A cluster non-randomised controlled trial

   Clinical rehabilitation · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 17 September 2026

   In a cluster trial of 133 adults with acute hand injuries, functional recovery (QuickDASH) was the same at 8 weeks and 6 months whether care was therapist-led or medically led. However, the therapist pathway generated significantly fewer specialist referrals and overall healthcare contacts, indicating a more efficient model that warrants broader implementation.

9. 9

   Impact of real-time respiratory function monitoring on neonatal mask ventilation training: a multicentre simulation-based crossover study

   BMJ paediatrics open · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 15 September 2026

   In a multicentre crossover simulation, clinicians who could see respiratory function monitor feedback delivered neonatal mask ventilation with less mask leak and more breaths within the 4-8 mL/kg tidal-volume target, especially on preterm and term manikins. The benefit persisted after the display was hidden, indicating a short-term learning carry-over.

10. 10

    Five-year outcomes in a randomised controlled trial of prolonged exposure therapy and supportive counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescents: a task-shifted intervention

    European journal of psychotraumatology · Q1 journal · RCT · Evidence level 1 (High) · 14 September 2026

    In a randomized trial of 63 adolescents, both brief prolonged exposure therapy and supportive counseling delivered by non-specialist nurses reduced PTSD symptoms for up to 60 months, but exposure produced greater symptom drops at every follow-up except the final five-year point. The durability of these improvements supports scaling task-shifted trauma therapies in community settings, though the long-term advantage of exposure over counseling appears modest.

Paper of the day, last two weeks

• Comparative Effectiveness of Lidocaine and Amiodarone for Refractory VF/pVT in Adult In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Insights from a Nationwide Multicenter Chinese Registry

  Chest · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 21 September 2026

  Lidocaine vs amiodarone in refractory VF/pVT

• Dynamic Prediction of Day Mortality in Patients With Trauma Using a Hybrid Neural Network Model: Model Development and Evaluation Study

  Journal of medical Internet research · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 16 September 2026

  AI model predicting trauma mortality dynamically

• Dynamic Prediction of Day Mortality in Patients With Trauma Using a Hybrid Neural Network Model: Model Development and Evaluation Study

  Journal of medical Internet research · Q1 journal · Unclassified · Evidence level 5 (Expert Opinion) · 16 September 2026

  AI model predicting trauma mortality dynamically

• Association between early prehospital administration antibiotic and 28-day mortality in sepsis

  Prehospital emergency care · Q1 journal · Cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 15 September 2026

  Prehospital antibiotics reduce 28‑day sepsis mortality

• Early assessment of fluid tolerance (VExUS) and stroke volume (LVOT-VTI) to predict adverse outcomes in emergency department patients with suspected sepsis

  Annals of intensive care · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 4 (Very Low) · 26 August 2026

  Early VExUS predicts sepsis adverse outcomes

• Early assessment of fluid tolerance (VExUS) and stroke volume (LVOT-VTI) to predict adverse outcomes in emergency department patients with suspected sepsis

  Annals of intensive care · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 4 (Very Low) · 26 August 2026

  Early VExUS predicts sepsis adverse outcomes

• Stress displacement and surgical benefit in Beckmann 7-9 pelvic ring injuries: A retrospective multicenter analysis

  Injury · Q1 journal · Prospective cohort · Evidence level 2 (Moderate) · 9 September 2026

  Stress displacement identifies LC1 injuries where surgery reduces adverse outcomes

• High-Flow Nasal Oxygen Versus Conventional Oxygen Therapy and Non-Invasive Ventilation for Acute Respiratory Failure in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

  Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 1 October 2026

  HFNO reduces intubation in acute respiratory failure in ED

• Intravenous or Intraosseous Vascular Access in Cardiac Arrest: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis

  Resuscitation · Q1 journal · SR/MA of RCTs · Evidence level 1 (High) · 11 September 2026

  IO vs IV access shows no survival difference in out‑of‑hospital

• Visual scoring of photoplethysmography morphology for risk stratification in hemorrhagic shock: a prospective observational study

  Annals of intensive care · Q1 journal · Cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 24 August 2026

  Visual PPG scoring predicts mortality in hemorrhagic shock

• Data-Driven Re-Evaluation of Hemodynamic Instability in the Pediatric Trauma Population

  Journal of the American College of Surgeons · Q1 journal · Cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 9 September 2026

  Dynamic coevolution of coping self‑efficacy and PTSS after trauma

• Emergency department referral and short-term death after outpatient hyperkalemia: a population-based study

  CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · Q1 journal · Retrospective cohort · Evidence level 3 (Low) · 7 September 2026

  In a province-wide cohort of 57,600 adults with potassium > 6.2 mmol/L, patients who were seen in the emergency department within a day had a one-day mortality of 0.4% versus 1.0% for those managed outpatient, and the benefit persisted to seven days. The greatest survival gain was seen in those with potassium > 6.6 mmol/L or eGFR < 30 mL/min, highlighting the need for rapid referral pathways.

Evidence summaries in Emergency Medicine

• Serotonin Syndrome
• Anaphylaxis
• Status Epilepticus
• Serum Osmolal Gap
• Cholinergic Crisis