RCEM Learning January 2026
Feb 5, 2026
Ben Clarke, a resident in Southeast Scotland specialising in emergency medicine and intensive care and TURN fellow, co-leads the UnCORKED TERN study. He discusses quantifying corridor and escalation-area care across UK EDs and why repurposed spaces matter for patient safety. Short segments also cover CT use in undifferentiated sepsis and bicarbonate use for severe metabolic acidaemia.
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Episode notes
Use CT When Initial Tests Leave You Unsure
- Consider CT when standard exams (CXR, urine) don't identify a source and clinical concern persists, especially in older patients.
- Use CT to expedite source control or targeted therapy rather than relying on tenuous diagnostic closure.
Splenic Abscess Found After Repeated Visits
- Dave recalled scanning a patient repeatedly missed clinically until CT revealed a large splenic abscess that changed management.
- He uses that memory to justify scanning frail, complex patients when clinical uncertainty persists.
Corridor Care Is Hard To Capture Remotely
- Escalation area care (corridors, repurposed spaces) is widespread but poorly captured in routine records.
- Local clinicians with geographic knowledge are essential to accurately measure its scale.