@damianroland.bsky.social - Prof. Damian Roland

09 May 2026 13:52 +0000

Huge thanks to @dennisrenmd.bsky.social for his leadership on this paper on Fever. Hot or Not? Myths and Misconceptions About Antipyretics for Paediatric Fever https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0733862726000295?dgcid=author Still amazing that clinical response to antipyretics is not an evidence-based diagnostic tool...

04 May 2026 11:10 +0000

The #StarWars guide to decision making https://rolobotrambles.com/starwarsdecisionmaking/ Blog ideas from Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo and Admiral Akbar... #MaytheFourthbewithyou #StarWars

08 Apr 2026 19:50 +0000

🚨Great news for children! 🚨 In 2012 we knew we could treat significant forearm fractures in children without surgery https://www.ovid.com/jnls/jbjsjournal/abstract/10.2106/jbjs.k.00163~closed-treatment-of-overriding-distal-radial-fractures?redirectionsource=fulltextview It's only taken another 14 years to demonstrate this is in a RCT crafft.digitrial.com/results Well done @MrDanPerry and team!

21 Mar 2026 10:42 +0000

What do we mean when we say ‘meningitis’ #meningitis https://youtube.com/shorts/4ibw5vuP0Gw

20 Mar 2026 09:19 +0000

What do we mean when we say ‘meningitis’ #TikTok #meningitis vm.tiktok.com/ZNR9cXHSp/ https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNR9cXHSp/

16 Mar 2026 18:10 +0000

Reminded by the @hsj.co.uk mythbuster on the importance of Group-Think I constantly think about Collective Competence as it's so important for the groups in which I work - either within the Emergency Department or System level meetings https://rolobotrambles.com/groupthinkatscale/

25 Feb 2026 15:53 +0000

"I do wish to defend, in part, the non-apology" dontforgetthebubbles.com/a-non-apology/ #ICYMI https://dontforgetthebubbles.com/a-non-apology/

16 Feb 2026 17:24 +0000

The importance of measles vaccination https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDGdhDyYBPY

16 Feb 2026 11:00 +0000

Was great working with a diverse team on this The Importance of Health Education in Schools: Reflections, Representation & Recommendations https://www.mdpi.com/2813-2882/4/1/9 We challenge some perceptions on consent and argue for more focused health education #education #health

03 Feb 2026 16:55 +0000

Immunisation & Vaccine effectiveness only part of the story To work they need to be implemented. Our multinational European study examined the impact of different preventive strategies against #RSV in infants attending Emergency Departments (EDs) & hospital admissions. 1/2

29 Jan 2026 21:13 +0000

Feel a little silly for missing this... For the last couple of months I've been reporting on a relatively persistent #RSV positivity and admission rate in which the impact of the RSV vaccine wasn't clear. BUT... 1/3 https://x.com/Damian_Roland/status/2009346765313724859?s=20

26 Jan 2026 09:35 +0000

Apologies - late with update. #Flu, non withstanding potential for slight upticks based on prior curves, was, overall, of lower impact than previous years. 1/2

24 Jan 2026 14:13 +0000

Great interview by Amol Rajan on BBC Radio 4 Today programme with <16-yr-olds on Social Media Is issue #SoMe, particular platforms or infinite scrolling function itself? Amol's screen time was the highest; does a ban on <16s just hide a bigger problem? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002q38h (1hr34m39s)

15 Jan 2026 19:54 +0000

#RSV remains relevant in respiratory milieu Overall declining trend but vaccination hasn't hugely impacted on admission rates (volume of admissions may have decreased) Of note is increasing rates in 75 years + (especially given relatively successful vaccination programme)

15 Jan 2026 19:49 +0000

From epidemiological perspective difficult to see how #Flu this year was substantially different in relation to volume & admissions rates. However I think pressures in late 2025 demonstrate how fragile #NHS capacity is A slightly earlier start unsettled a very delicate system

14 Jan 2026 12:32 +0000

When the cannula you’ve delicately placed in the veinless ex-pre-term infant flashes back, you sigh, grin and feel a nice inner glow before the vein tissues as you push fluid through…. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/articles/cpdy1yzyjvlo

11 Jan 2026 09:55 +0000

Reviewing photos from recent trip to Australia The Black Swan has a fascinating story described by Nassim Taleb in his great book of same name. Many medical insights from Taleb’s interpretations. My favourite explaining the dissonance between emergency dept’s & specialties

08 Jan 2026 19:29 +0000

Interesting trends in #RSV. Overall a muted year in relation to positivity (hopefully due to the RSV vaccine) but admission rates don't seem to have been hugely affected and sadly impact on under 5s perhaps not as great as might be expected. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-report-8-january-2026-week-2

08 Jan 2026 19:20 +0000

So looks like #Flu didn't end up being the monster year it might have been (despite starting a little earlier than normal) There have been double spikes (note 2023-24) so doesn't necessarily mean that we can relax yet though.

11 Dec 2025 19:52 +0000

And don't let the conversations on #Flu distract from #RSV Pretty sure the bronchiolitis season isn't going to let Flu run away with all the headlines!

11 Dec 2025 19:49 +0000

Lots in the news today on #Flu. The real challenge here is timing rather than volume (don't believe anyone using the term SuperFlu) Graphs aren't dramatically out of kilter with previous years but they are displaced forward. Worry is knowing if the upward trend continues...

06 Dec 2025 17:59 +0000

I spoke at Excellence in Paediatrics this week on why paediatric guidelines can be so challenging to implement. I identified four themes i) Cognitive Biases and Prior Beliefs ii) Influences of Third Parties iii) Guideline is incorrect iv) Challenges with Communication and Interpretation

04 Dec 2025 17:16 +0000

🚨Hot off the press🚨 (and now receiving national attention: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c74xqn2zg1eo) ➡️ Flu continues its slighty earlier curve with trajectory identical to previous winters ➡️ Difficult to know where/when RSV will peak but admission significant compared to previous years

01 Dec 2025 10:03 +0000

Sorry this is late....Emergency Departments (especially children's) feeling busy! 1) Flu after a little 'notch' is climbing again (note similar in 2023-24) 2) RSV continues to rise at similar rate but delayed than previous seasons 3) RSV admissions nearly at 2022-23 #Flu #RSV

23 Nov 2025 08:36 +0000

Great to (finally) see the @NHSEngland A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions data set including a Paediatric Split! Top 10 by attendances below..... Will work on sharing other key findings soon https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ae-waiting-times-and-activity/ae-attendances-and-emergency-admissions-2025-26/

20 Nov 2025 20:06 +0000

#RSV just taking its time this year. Has the vaccine muted it's peak or just flattened the overall area under the curve....? (note admission rates not too far away from following 2022-23 curve) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-report-20-november-2025-week-47

20 Nov 2025 20:02 +0000

So Flu following slightly unusual pattern. We'll start early it thinks, and then perhaps just relax for a bit, while we lull everyone into a false sense of security. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2025-to-2026-season/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-report-20-november-2025-week-47

20 Nov 2025 19:55 +0000

Trajectory of illness is important An often impossible challenge in primary care as clinicians faced with a point in time decision, much easier when you have time to observe. #RSV often plays by its own rules though... https://rolobotrambles.com/the-sounds-of-winter-an-audio-visual-review-of-paediatric-respiratory-disease/

19 Nov 2025 19:46 +0000

Seeing lots of children with what could be bronchiolitis or viral wheeze. It can be a clinical conundrum My audio-visual review of respiratory viruses from a decade ago shows how little the respiratory landscape has changed! https://rolobotrambles.com/the-sounds-of-winter-an-audio-visual-review-of-paediatric-respiratory-disease/ youtu.be/KQTEu1mpRY8 https://youtu.be/KQTEu1mpRY8