John Pickering
@kiwiskinz.bsky.social
Research Professor, but prefer Scrymaster. Embedded scientist and statistician in emergency medicine. See #NerdNite talk https://youtu.be/Gd180NiWSCg. Don't believe in statistical significance. Amateur astronomer and will post photos of the heavens.
Pinned
John Pickering
@kiwiskinz.bsky.social
· Dec 13
Where 2 Emergency Medicine docs are gathered there are 3+ opinions. Follow them all here where multiple hashtags are included #EMedSky, #EMSky, #EmergencyDepartment, #EmergencyRoom, #EmergencyCare
bsky.app/profile/did:...
bsky.app/profile/did:...
Reposted by John Pickering
If you're not in Christchurch, you're missing out! Come join the busiest emergency department in Australasia (Southern Hemisphere?) with incomparable small-city quality of life.
"Fellow" positions open for applications for 2026:
cdhb.careercentre.net.nz/Job/Emergenc...
"Fellow" positions open for applications for 2026:
cdhb.careercentre.net.nz/Job/Emergenc...
November 11, 2025 at 12:12 AM
If you're not in Christchurch, you're missing out! Come join the busiest emergency department in Australasia (Southern Hemisphere?) with incomparable small-city quality of life.
"Fellow" positions open for applications for 2026:
cdhb.careercentre.net.nz/Job/Emergenc...
"Fellow" positions open for applications for 2026:
cdhb.careercentre.net.nz/Job/Emergenc...
In case you missed this late-breaker at #AHA25. ICare-FASTER showed that the introduction of a high-sensitive Point-of-care troponin assay in 6 emergency departments (n=60,000) was safe & reduced length of stay. #EMSky #CardioSky
November 10, 2025 at 12:10 AM
In case you missed this late-breaker at #AHA25. ICare-FASTER showed that the introduction of a high-sensitive Point-of-care troponin assay in 6 emergency departments (n=60,000) was safe & reduced length of stay. #EMSky #CardioSky
Wow-media (& paper) about DECAF #AF trial have it totally the wrong way around.
Control = coffee drinkers [usual behaviour]
Intervention = Going cold turkey
Therefore correct interpretation is: "Going cold turkey on coffee may increase AF rate, HR 1.6(95%CI 1.1 to 2.4)"
#AHA25 #CardioSky
Control = coffee drinkers [usual behaviour]
Intervention = Going cold turkey
Therefore correct interpretation is: "Going cold turkey on coffee may increase AF rate, HR 1.6(95%CI 1.1 to 2.4)"
#AHA25 #CardioSky
November 9, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Wow-media (& paper) about DECAF #AF trial have it totally the wrong way around.
Control = coffee drinkers [usual behaviour]
Intervention = Going cold turkey
Therefore correct interpretation is: "Going cold turkey on coffee may increase AF rate, HR 1.6(95%CI 1.1 to 2.4)"
#AHA25 #CardioSky
Control = coffee drinkers [usual behaviour]
Intervention = Going cold turkey
Therefore correct interpretation is: "Going cold turkey on coffee may increase AF rate, HR 1.6(95%CI 1.1 to 2.4)"
#AHA25 #CardioSky
At #AHA2025? I would love a photo of Martin Than presenting our ICare-FASTER point of care #troponin #EMsky trial results as a late-breaker at 09:24 on Sunday (session FS.05).
The culmination of a 7.5y project. 60,000 patients, hundreds of staff.
Thanks
#CardioSky
ps. the results are worth the wait
The culmination of a 7.5y project. 60,000 patients, hundreds of staff.
Thanks
#CardioSky
ps. the results are worth the wait
November 6, 2025 at 11:01 PM
At #AHA2025? I would love a photo of Martin Than presenting our ICare-FASTER point of care #troponin #EMsky trial results as a late-breaker at 09:24 on Sunday (session FS.05).
The culmination of a 7.5y project. 60,000 patients, hundreds of staff.
Thanks
#CardioSky
ps. the results are worth the wait
The culmination of a 7.5y project. 60,000 patients, hundreds of staff.
Thanks
#CardioSky
ps. the results are worth the wait
Reposted by John Pickering
A medical physicist’s deep dive into the history of X-rays in New Zealand has uncovered that not only is the oldest New Zealand X-ray in existence in Christchurch, its subject - a native frog - is also still floating around after 130 years.
Click the link in our bio or go to thepress.co.nz for the…
Click the link in our bio or go to thepress.co.nz for the…
November 5, 2025 at 6:43 PM
A medical physicist’s deep dive into the history of X-rays in New Zealand has uncovered that not only is the oldest New Zealand X-ray in existence in Christchurch, its subject - a native frog - is also still floating around after 130 years.
Click the link in our bio or go to thepress.co.nz for the…
Click the link in our bio or go to thepress.co.nz for the…
Reposted by John Pickering
The Ferrier Research Institute in Wellington is seeking a motivated PhD student to work on an exciting project at the interface of organic chemistry, peptide science, and antibiotic discovery, contributing to urgently needed new treatments.
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
Synthesis of ambocidin and novel analogues | Te Kāuru / Ferrier Research Institute | Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
This is a unique opportunity to work at the interface of organic chemistry, peptide science, and antibiotic discovery, contributing to new treatments.
www.wgtn.ac.nz
November 2, 2025 at 11:06 PM
The Ferrier Research Institute in Wellington is seeking a motivated PhD student to work on an exciting project at the interface of organic chemistry, peptide science, and antibiotic discovery, contributing to urgently needed new treatments.
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
www.wgtn.ac.nz/ferrier/stud...
I love it when collogues of mine from University of Otago Christchurch get well deserved recognition. flip.it/jdVlx9 Well done Logan... Lilly medallist. #NZ #Genetics #Cancer @universityofotago.bsky.social
NZ researchers honoured for their transformative health interventions | Flipboard
hrc.govt.nz - The Health Research Council (HRC) has honoured an outstanding group of researchers at the Royal Society Te Apārangi’s Research Honours event in …
flip.it
October 30, 2025 at 3:28 AM
I love it when collogues of mine from University of Otago Christchurch get well deserved recognition. flip.it/jdVlx9 Well done Logan... Lilly medallist. #NZ #Genetics #Cancer @universityofotago.bsky.social
View north above #Christchurch from a weather station at 1003 this morning (a few mins ago). Now >50km/h sustained winds there. Hold on to your hats folks. #Oct23Storm
October 22, 2025 at 9:14 PM
View north above #Christchurch from a weather station at 1003 this morning (a few mins ago). Now >50km/h sustained winds there. Hold on to your hats folks. #Oct23Storm
Hope all fellow #Christchurch folk have the hatches battened down for the #Oct23Storm. We've just had a period of calm up on Westmorland. But at the v top of Marley Hill a gust hit 93 km/h at 8:43 this morning (check out the Attentis app). More coming!
October 22, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Hope all fellow #Christchurch folk have the hatches battened down for the #Oct23Storm. We've just had a period of calm up on Westmorland. But at the v top of Marley Hill a gust hit 93 km/h at 8:43 this morning (check out the Attentis app). More coming!
Anthropic #AI just got pinged for US$1.5bn for nicking stuff from authors. $3K per book. Check the list: secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup
SadlyI don't hold the #copyright for the only one I contributed to (ironically an article on plagiarism).
www.chemistryworld.com/news/ai-comp...
SadlyI don't hold the #copyright for the only one I contributed to (ironically an article on plagiarism).
www.chemistryworld.com/news/ai-comp...
AI company will pay authors $1.5 billion in damages after using their copyrighted works to train its models
Academics set for payouts of $3000 for each book that was illegally downloaded
www.chemistryworld.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Anthropic #AI just got pinged for US$1.5bn for nicking stuff from authors. $3K per book. Check the list: secure.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com/lookup
SadlyI don't hold the #copyright for the only one I contributed to (ironically an article on plagiarism).
www.chemistryworld.com/news/ai-comp...
SadlyI don't hold the #copyright for the only one I contributed to (ironically an article on plagiarism).
www.chemistryworld.com/news/ai-comp...
Reposted by John Pickering
High-sens POC troponin assays have potential to reduce ED LOS for chest pain patients - but are they safe? When used within an ESC-type pathway, POC hs-TnI ruled out MI in 32% patients after a single test, with 100% sensitivity doi.org/10.1111/1742... @emajournal.bsky.social
October 15, 2025 at 9:31 PM
High-sens POC troponin assays have potential to reduce ED LOS for chest pain patients - but are they safe? When used within an ESC-type pathway, POC hs-TnI ruled out MI in 32% patients after a single test, with 100% sensitivity doi.org/10.1111/1742... @emajournal.bsky.social
I asked OpenEvidence & Asta medical literature trained #AI s "What does a troponin of 4 mean?"
Neither said the qn makes no sense or it depends on assay
Only Asta said it depends on units
Asta's references were very dodgy
OpenEvidence's better, but out of date
Caveat Emptor
#AI #EMedSky #CardioSky
Neither said the qn makes no sense or it depends on assay
Only Asta said it depends on units
Asta's references were very dodgy
OpenEvidence's better, but out of date
Caveat Emptor
#AI #EMedSky #CardioSky
October 7, 2025 at 5:21 AM
I asked OpenEvidence & Asta medical literature trained #AI s "What does a troponin of 4 mean?"
Neither said the qn makes no sense or it depends on assay
Only Asta said it depends on units
Asta's references were very dodgy
OpenEvidence's better, but out of date
Caveat Emptor
#AI #EMedSky #CardioSky
Neither said the qn makes no sense or it depends on assay
Only Asta said it depends on units
Asta's references were very dodgy
OpenEvidence's better, but out of date
Caveat Emptor
#AI #EMedSky #CardioSky
Reposted by John Pickering
If you sometimes feel uncertain about what #statistics do or do not tell us, this #podcast from early September is well worth listening to. (And while you are at it, most other episodes of the #InGoodCompany series are also well worth your time.) shows.acast.com/622618c7057f...
Sir David Spiegelhalter: Statistics, Communicating in Crises, and Living with Uncertainty | In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen
shows.acast.com
October 6, 2025 at 2:59 PM
If you sometimes feel uncertain about what #statistics do or do not tell us, this #podcast from early September is well worth listening to. (And while you are at it, most other episodes of the #InGoodCompany series are also well worth your time.) shows.acast.com/622618c7057f...
This week's plan:
1. Get Nobel in Med. ❌ 😞
2. Get Nobel in Phys.
3. Get Nobel in Chem.
4. Get Nobel in Lit. ... not eligble 'cos can't writ. 😜
5. Get Noble in Peace ... 🤣 ... I want to bang all their heads together!!!!!
1. Get Nobel in Med. ❌ 😞
2. Get Nobel in Phys.
3. Get Nobel in Chem.
4. Get Nobel in Lit. ... not eligble 'cos can't writ. 😜
5. Get Noble in Peace ... 🤣 ... I want to bang all their heads together!!!!!
October 6, 2025 at 8:49 PM
This week's plan:
1. Get Nobel in Med. ❌ 😞
2. Get Nobel in Phys.
3. Get Nobel in Chem.
4. Get Nobel in Lit. ... not eligble 'cos can't writ. 😜
5. Get Noble in Peace ... 🤣 ... I want to bang all their heads together!!!!!
1. Get Nobel in Med. ❌ 😞
2. Get Nobel in Phys.
3. Get Nobel in Chem.
4. Get Nobel in Lit. ... not eligble 'cos can't writ. 😜
5. Get Noble in Peace ... 🤣 ... I want to bang all their heads together!!!!!
Reposted by John Pickering
“We can’t think about one anymore without the other,” says Martha Gulati, MD, MS, FACC on the link between treating the kidney and protecting the heart.
"We should aim to reduce the progression of chronic kidney diseases in order to reduce the possibility of heart disease." #ACCLATAM #ACCIntl
"We should aim to reduce the progression of chronic kidney diseases in order to reduce the possibility of heart disease." #ACCLATAM #ACCIntl
September 20, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reposted by John Pickering
The potential use of clinical biomarkers as a rule-out test for intracranial pathology in head-injured patients
doi.org/10.1111/1742...
#OpenAccess
@wiley.com
#MedSky #EMSky #EMedSky #emimcc #ACEM
doi.org/10.1111/1742...
#OpenAccess
@wiley.com
#MedSky #EMSky #EMedSky #emimcc #ACEM
October 4, 2025 at 3:03 AM
The potential use of clinical biomarkers as a rule-out test for intracranial pathology in head-injured patients
doi.org/10.1111/1742...
#OpenAccess
@wiley.com
#MedSky #EMSky #EMedSky #emimcc #ACEM
doi.org/10.1111/1742...
#OpenAccess
@wiley.com
#MedSky #EMSky #EMedSky #emimcc #ACEM
Reposted by John Pickering
More detail / nuance in my full writeup about this article on @medscape if you want to dive deeper: www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
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Is the Rise in Cancer in Young People... Fake?
A study looking at the eight fastest-rising cancers in young adults concludes that the real problem is overdiagnosis. But not everyone agrees.
www.medscape.com
October 1, 2025 at 10:16 PM
More detail / nuance in my full writeup about this article on @medscape if you want to dive deeper: www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...
/🧵
/🧵
Reposted by John Pickering
The facts everyone agrees on: Early-onset cancer rates (before age 50) ARE rising. Some cancers like thyroid, kidney, endometrial, and colorectal are up >1% per year since 1992.
The debate? Whether these new cases actually matter. 2/
The debate? Whether these new cases actually matter. 2/
October 1, 2025 at 10:16 PM
The facts everyone agrees on: Early-onset cancer rates (before age 50) ARE rising. Some cancers like thyroid, kidney, endometrial, and colorectal are up >1% per year since 1992.
The debate? Whether these new cases actually matter. 2/
The debate? Whether these new cases actually matter. 2/
September 28, 2025 at 3:03 AM
September 21, 2025 at 9:54 PM
September 18, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Because it's been a while - for those working in Emergency Medicine there is a feed for you with all your fav tags:
bsky.app/profile/kiwi... #ED #ER #EMSky
bsky.app/profile/kiwi... #ED #ER #EMSky
September 16, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Because it's been a while - for those working in Emergency Medicine there is a feed for you with all your fav tags:
bsky.app/profile/kiwi... #ED #ER #EMSky
bsky.app/profile/kiwi... #ED #ER #EMSky
To improve equity "opportunity" risk stratification for cardiovascular outcomes with a mammogram is intriguing. Whilst not convincingly better than the #NZ PREDICT score, this looks good work & certainly worth more investigation. Calibration is impressive (hidden in supplement :( ) #CardioSky
Current read out for a mammogram leaves a lot on the table.
A new study shows how risk of cardiovascular disease can be predicted as well as traditional cardiovascular risk scores (aka opportunistic A.I.)
heart.bmj.com/content/earl...
A new study shows how risk of cardiovascular disease can be predicted as well as traditional cardiovascular risk scores (aka opportunistic A.I.)
heart.bmj.com/content/earl...
September 16, 2025 at 11:30 PM
To improve equity "opportunity" risk stratification for cardiovascular outcomes with a mammogram is intriguing. Whilst not convincingly better than the #NZ PREDICT score, this looks good work & certainly worth more investigation. Calibration is impressive (hidden in supplement :( ) #CardioSky