MEM-EM: The Memorising Emergency Medicine Podcast

About MEM-EM: The Memorising Emergency Medicine Podcast

An educational podcast designed for Emergency Medicine. The primary goal of this project is to accelerate the learning curve and decrease the knowledge translation window for trainees. MEM-EM is designed to complement official resources to help people prepare for examinations in Emergency Medicine and to maintain knowledge during practice. Content is structured to follow the RCEM 2021 curriculum but will be useful for ACEM trainees in Australasia and also portfolio pathway candidates in the UK.

Publisher

MEM-EM

Category

health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Oct 2025

Latest episode

3 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

62 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Jun 2026

   Approach to Low Back Pain & Cauda Equina Syndrome in the ED

   Mnemonic for BACKPAIN Red Flags & Do Not Miss DDX =BACKPAIN can be CRAFTI Back Pain Red Flags* Bladder, Bowel & Erectile Dysfunction or Bilateral Sx** Anaesthesia (saddle) Cancer or Coagulopathy – Sx or PMH/risk (N.B. Thoracic Back Pain) Kyphosis, stenosis, achondoplasia, or other pre-existingspinal narrowing. Pain at Night +/-worse lying down think infection or cancer (USUALLY Discogenic pain is worse with flexion, & pain from spondylolysis is worse with extension)** Age <20 or >50 = think harder about other causes. IVDU/Immunocompromised/ recent Infection or Intervention(e.g. epidural), chronic steroids, sickle cell, organ failure, DM Neurology (progressive & bilateral sensory or motor)** *positive responses to “red flag’ questions for low backpain (e.g. bowel or bladder incontinence, history of cancer, trauma, fever, IV drug use etc) prompt further investigation, negative responses are not sufficient to rule out serious pathology. ** Retrospective tertiary centre review (U.K.) showed thatbilateral lower extremity pain, dermatomal distribution sensory loss, & loss of bilateral ankle/knee reflexes showed correlation with radiographic diagnosis of cauda equina compression (CEC); while digital rectal examination(DRE) did not demonstrate any benefit. However, individual symptoms showed poor performance in ruling in (or out) CEC. For more on low back pain emergencies see EM CASES Episode 26. CRAFTI DDx of low back pain to consider: Compression (CAUDA EQUNIA Compression [CEC], ConusMedullaris, Epidural Haematoma / Cauda Equina) Renal Colic or other abdominal cause e.g. pancreatitis AAA or vascular Dissection Fracture (Trauma / Osteoporotic) Tumour (cancer 1ary or 2ary) Infection/Inflammation (Epidural Abscess, Osteomyelitis,Discitis, Transverse Myelitis)

2. 

   6 Apr 2026

   Locating the Source of Sepsis: The LUCAS mnemonic

   Clinical Epidemiology and Bedside Identification of Sepsis Sources in the United Kingdom: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Expanded LUCAS Framework and NHS Presentation Trends The clinical management of sepsis within the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) has undergone a paradigmatic shift over the last decade, transitioning from a reactive physiological response model to a proactive, source-centric diagnostic strategy. Sepsis is defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, and it remains a primary driver of morbidity and mortality across all levels of secondary care.[1] Within the high-pressure environment of the Emergency Department (ED), the ability to rapidly identify the infectious focus is as critical as the initiation of early fluid resuscitation and antimicrobial therapy. The LUCAS mnemonic—traditionally Lungs, Urine, CNS, Abdomen, and Skin, but expanded here to include Spine, Septic joints, Septic emboli, and Endocarditis—serves as an essential cognitive aid for clinicians to systematically survey the most prevalent and high-risk anatomical origins of infection in a population increasingly characterized by frailty, multi-morbidity, and advanced age.[2, 3, 4]

3. 

   30 Mar 2026

   Sepsis resuscitation: Applying the Pathophysiology, Guidelines and future of sepsis care at the bedside.

   Sepsis is a time-critical medical emergency defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection [1]. Globally, it remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, with an estimated 49 million cases and 11 million deaths annually [8].

Contact MEM-EM: The Memorising Emergency Medicine Podcast

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.