Injuries to the neck and spine carry the risk of catastrophic neurological consequence. This episode explores spinal protection, assessment, and clearance in trauma patients.

We examine mechanisms of injury, clinical red flags, imaging strategies, and the principles of immobilisation. The episode also discusses airway management in the context of potential cervical spine injury and the balance between protection and practicality.

This chapter reinforces a core trauma principle: assume injury until proven otherwise — and prevent secondary harm through disciplined care.

Torso and pelvic injuries are major contributors to early trauma mortality. This episode explores blunt and penetrating injuries to the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, focusing on haemorrhage recognition and control.

We discuss mechanisms of injury, clinical signs of internal bleeding, the role of FAST scanning and CT, and the principles of damage control surgery. The episode also addresses pelvic stabilisation and the coordination required between surgery, radiology, and critical care.

This chapter teaches listeners to think anatomically and physiologically — anticipating injury patterns rather than reacting too late.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) demands rapid recognition and meticulous management. This episode explores primary and secondary brain injury, intracranial pressure dynamics, and the principles that guide early intervention.

We examine clinical assessment, Glasgow Coma Scale interpretation, imaging decisions, and airway management in the neurologically compromised patient. The episode also highlights the dangers of hypotension and hypoxia, and the importance of neuroprotection from the earliest moments.

This chapter reinforces that in head injury, what is prevented often matters more than what is treated.

This episode focuses on the cornerstone of trauma care: the structured primary survey. We walk through the principles of early assessment and resuscitation using the ABCDE approach, emphasising speed, prioritisation, and simultaneous intervention.

Listeners will hear how to recognise life-threatening problems, initiate damage control resuscitation, and avoid common pitfalls such as fixation errors and delayed escalation. The episode also addresses trauma physiology, shock recognition, and the importance of reassessment.

This chapter teaches that trauma care is not about diagnosing everything — but about preventing deterioration while clarity emerges.

Trauma care begins with mindset. This episode introduces trauma as a leading global cause of death and disability, emphasising the importance of systems, preparation, and structured response over individual brilliance.

We explore the epidemiology of trauma, mechanisms of injury, and the rationale behind trauma systems, including pre-hospital care, triage, and trauma team activation. The episode highlights why preventable deaths occur — and how early decisions, communication, and prioritisation shape outcomes.

This chapter lays the conceptual foundation for trauma care, reframing it as disciplined teamwork under pressure, where consistency saves lives.

Nutrition and fluid therapy underpin surgical recovery, yet are often overlooked. This episode explores how metabolic demand, illness, and surgical stress alter nutritional needs and fluid balance.

We examine assessment of nutritional status, routes of nutritional support, and principles of intravenous fluid prescribing. The episode highlights common errors, such as over-resuscitation or neglect of electrolytes, and their clinical consequences.

This chapter reframes nutrition and fluids as active therapies — requiring the same precision, monitoring, and adjustment as any drug.

Postoperative care determines whether surgery succeeds or fails. This episode explores the immediate and ongoing management of patients after surgery — focusing on physiological stability, complication recognition, and functional recovery.

We discuss pain control, fluid balance, early mobilisation, respiratory care, and monitoring for surgical complications. The episode also introduces enhanced recovery principles and the importance of coordinated multidisciplinary input.

This chapter reinforces that vigilance, not intervention, is often the most important postoperative skill — recognising early deviation from normal before deterioration becomes irreversible.

Anaesthesia enables surgery — but its impact extends far beyond unconsciousness. This episode explores the principles of general, regional, and local anaesthesia, alongside perioperative pain management strategies.

We examine airway management, physiological monitoring, analgesic pathways, and the balance between adequate pain control and adverse effects. The episode also highlights multimodal analgesia, regional techniques, and the importance of early pain assessment.

Rather than treating anaesthesia as background support, this chapter emphasises its central role in patient safety, recovery, and surgical outcomes.

Day case surgery represents one of the most significant shifts in modern surgical practice. This episode explores how procedures once requiring prolonged admission can now be delivered safely, efficiently, and with excellent outcomes.

We discuss patient selection, procedural suitability, anaesthetic considerations, discharge criteria, and complication avoidance. The episode also addresses systems design — scheduling, patient education, and follow-up — and the importance of clear safety-netting.

This chapter highlights that successful day surgery depends not on speed, but on planning — aligning surgical, anaesthetic, nursing, and patient expectations into a single coordinated pathway.

Surgery begins long before the first incision. This episode explores preoperative assessment as a critical intervention in its own right — particularly for patients with significant comorbidity, frailty, or physiological vulnerability.

We examine risk stratification, optimisation of chronic disease, medication management, and the role of prehabilitation. The episode discusses cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and metabolic assessment, alongside shared decision-making and consent in high-risk scenarios.

Rather than treating preoperative care as administrative, this chapter reframes it as anticipatory medicine — identifying reversible risk, clarifying goals of care, and ensuring patients enter surgery as prepared as possible, physically and psychologically.