Spinal cord compression is an extremely serious disorder that can have devastating consequences. These include weakness of the legs, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and loss of sensation.

Rapid diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference to the outcome - so it is vital that we get the diagnosis and management of this condition right. 

In this BMJ Best Practice podcast on spinal cord compression, Kieran Walsh talks with Professor Kenneth Casey, Clinical Associate Professor in Neurosurgery at Michigan State University and Clinical Associate Professor in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

Competing interests: none declared

We release episodes fortnightly.

Spinal cord compression: an update on diagnosis and management

The BMJ Best Practice podcast publishes interviews with clinical experts, aimed at healthcare professionals and students with an interest in keeping up to date with the latest scientific developments, evidence-based medicine and guidelines. 

BMJ Best Practice is ranked one of the best clinical decision support tools for health professionals worldwide.* Structured around the clinical workflow and updated daily, BMJ Best Practice uses the latest evidence-based research, guidelines and expert opinion to offer step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention.

bestpractice.bmj.com

*Kwag KH, González-Lorenzo M, Banzi R, Bonovas S, Moja L. Providing Doctors With High-Quality Information: An Updated Evaluation of Web-Based Point-of-Care Information Summaries

The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement...

Medicine

Science & Medicine

Health & Fitness

Syncope is common. It accounts for approximately 1% of all emergency department visits and 2% of all hospital admissions from the emergency department. Causes include dysrhythmias, pulmonary embolism, subarachnoid haemorrhage, and acute coronary syndrome - to name but a few. So what if anything can we do to ensure that it is diagnosed and managed correctly? To answer this and other important questions, please do have a listen to this podcast interview with Professor Shamai Grossman, Associate Professor of Medicine and Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Competing interests: none

Syncope

Sepsis is common. In 2018, more than one million US Medicare patients were admitted to hospital with sepsis.
And complications are serious - from renal failure to ARDS to DIC.
So what if anything can we do to ensure that it is diagnosed and managed correctly?
To answer this and other important questions, have a listen to this podcast with Professor Andre Kalil, from the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
For more on sepsis, visit BMJ Best Practice.
Competing interests: none

Sepsis in adults

Acne is a common condition. The Global Burden of Disease estimates the prevalence of acne to be 8%, ranking it the eighth most prevalent disease worldwide.
And acne can cause complications - from scarring to dyspigmentation to mental health problems.
So what if anything can we do to ensure that it is diagnosed and managed correctly?
To answer this and other important questions, please have a listen to this podcast interview with Professor John Barbieri, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Harvard. 
For more on acne, visit BMJ Best Practice.
Competing interests: JB has received consulting fees from Dexcel Pharma.

Acne vulgaris

Cervical spine injuries result primarily from motor vehicle accidents, sports activities, and diving into shallow water. These mainly happen with young people. In older people, falls are a common cause. And such injuries can cause a range of complications from pain to radiculopathy to other neurological disability.
So what if anything can we do to ensure that cervical spine trauma is diagnosed and managed correctly?
To answer this and other important questions, listen to this interview with Michael Fehlings, Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, and author of our BMJ Best Practice topic on this condition.
Competing interests: MGF served as a consultant for Zimmer, In Vivo Therapeutics, and Pfizer. He receives institutional fellowship grant support from AOSpine, Medtronic, and Depuy-Synthes.

Cervical spine injury

Croup is a frequent cause of acute respiratory distress in young children. Typically, it affects those between six months and three years of age, peaking in the second year of life. And croup can be serious and can cause complications - such as pneumonia.
So what if anything can we do to ensure that it is diagnosed and managed correctly?
To answer this and other important questions, please do have a listen to this podcast interview with Professor David Johnson who is from the Department of Pediatrics and Physiology and Pharmacology at the University of Calgary, Canada.
For more on croup, visit BMJ Best Practice. 
Competing interests: none

Spinal cord compression: an update on diagnosis and management

Download our free app to listen on your phone