Updates

The Angioedema page has been updated, with particular reference to the role of icatibant in the treatment of life threatening angioedema.

The Hypertension page has been updated with information from the Joint Committee on Hypertension guidelines released in December 2013.

The Oral conditions page has been updated with additional information about the treatment of mouth ulcers.

The Complications of head trauma page has been updated with indications for ICU admission for  traumatic intra-cranial haemorrhage.

The management of meningococcal contacts has been updated on the Paediatric meningitis page.

The Pancreatitis page has been updated with specific reference to gallstone pancreatitis and the role of ERCP.

The prognostic significance of ST depression, T inversion or transient ST elevation on the initial ECG has been added to The ECG in acute coronary syndromes page.

Features of Chiliaditi’s sign that mimics subdiaphragmatic gas have been added to the Peptic ulcer disease page.

An example of an FBE result in a patient with ITP has been added to the Thrombocytopenia page.

The Financial issues page has been revised and data relating to health spending has been updated with 2011-12 data.

Some additional information regarding symptoms of hypokalaemia and ECG changes has been added to the Hypokalaemia page.

The Polyarteritis nodosa page has been updated, including information regarding the five factor score used in the severity classification of vasculidites.

The Renovascular problems page has been updated with some new information regarding the role for stenting for renal artery stenosis.

Just to start the year off on a cheery note, some additional information about litigation for negligence has been added to the Medicolegal issues page.

New accuracy figures for MRA in the detection of intracerebral aneurysms have been added to the Investigation of suspected subarachnoid haemorrhage page following the recent meta-analysis published in Stroke.

Despite being widely quoted as having an incidence of 2-30%, multi-phasic anaphylaxis that is clinically significant now appears to have an incidence of about 0.4% for cases of anaphylaxis and 0.1% for cases of allergy in ED patients. Hopefully this will reverse the trend of prolonged observation of patients with non life-threating allergic reactions. This information … Read more

The Risk stratification in ACS page has been updated and information regarding the Short low-intermediate chest (SLIC) pain pathway has been added.

Some information about the possible role of NT-proBNP in the assessment of patients with syncope has been added to the Syncope page/