Dr. Faisal Alzahrani

Australian-trained emergency physician.

Interested in healthcare systems, patient safety, leadership, and operational improvement.

Thoughts from the frontline

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

Finding an explanation isn't the same as finding the right diagnosis.

In Emergency Medicine, the danger isn't always missing a clue.

Sometimes, it's stopping the search too early.

A diagnosis should fit the patient, not the other way around.

#EmergencyMedicine #FOAMed

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

The first diagnosis that comes to mind isn't always the right one.

In ER, experience builds intuition.

But good clinical judgment means knowing when to challenge it.

Trust your instincts. Question your assumptions.

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning #FOAMed

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

@CFCforxile Kaka

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

A near miss is not proof that the system worked.

It is proof that the system almost failed, and luck stepped in.

Strong healthcare teams don’t celebrate the escape and move on. They investigate, learn, and redesign before luck runs out.

#PatientSafety #ClinicalGovernance

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

Not every emergency needs a louder voice.

When the room gets tense, good clinical leaders do 3 things:

• Simplify the plan
• Clarify each role
• Keep the team calm

In a crisis, calm is not softness. It is a clinical skill.
#ClinicalLeadership #EmergencyMedicine #Teamwork

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

A normal vital sign is a snapshot.

A reassuring test is a piece of evidence.

Neither replaces clinical judgment.

In Emergency Medicine, treat the patient, not the numbers.

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning #PatientSafety

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

A patient getting better doesn’t always mean the disease is gone.

Symptoms fluctuate.
Pain settles.
Vitals improve.

The real question is:
What explains why they were sick in the first place?

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

In ED, uncertainty isn’t a failure.

The mistake is pretending it doesn’t exist.

Good Emergency Medicine isn’t about being 100% certain.

It’s about making the safest decision with the information you have.

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

A normal test doesn’t make the patient safe.

A negative scan doesn’t replace clinical judgment.

Tests answer questions.

The real skill in Emergency Medicine is knowing whether you asked the right one.

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning #FOAMed

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

In Emergency Medicine, the question isn’t always:

“What is the diagnosis?”

Sometimes the better question is:

“What happens if I’m wrong?”

That question changes decisions.

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

A diagnosis doesn’t make a patient safe for discharge.

A safe discharge needs more:

Can they cope at home?
Can they access follow-up?
Do they know when to return?

Disposition is a clinical decision.

#EmergencyMedicine #PatientSafety

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

In Emergency Medicine, a correct diagnosis often begins with a second look.

The patient changes.
The pain evolves.
New signs appear.

Reassessment isn’t repetition. It’s where uncertainty becomes clarity.

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

In Emergency Medicine, uncertainty is not failure.

The dangerous physician isn’t the one who says: “I’m not sure.”

It’s the one who stops asking:
“What else could this be?”

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

The patient who worries you the most isn’t always the sickest one.

It’s the one whose story doesn’t fit.

In Emergency Medicine, pattern recognition saves time.

Recognizing when the pattern doesn’t fit saves lives.

#EmergencyMedicine #FOAMed #ClinicalReasoning

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

The diagnosis you miss…

is rarely the one you considered.

It’s the one you never placed on your differential.

Think broadly before you narrow.

#EmergencyMedicine #ClinicalReasoning

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

الفكرة:

A reassuring patient isn’t always a safe patient.

Pain improves.
Vitals normalize.
They smile.

None of these rule out serious disease.

Emergency Medicine is about finding the patient who doesn’t look sick.

#EmergencyMedicine #FOAMed

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

The best Emergency Physicians aren’t the ones who diagnose everything.

They’re the ones who don’t miss the diagnosis that matters.

That’s what keeps patients safe.

#EmergencyMedicine #PatientSafety #FOAMed

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

The most dangerous phrase in ED:
"The tests are normal."
Normal tests reduce the risk.
They don't eliminate it.
Good Emergency Physicians always asks:
"Do the tests explain the patient's presentation?"
#EmergencyMedicine #FOAMed #MedTwitter

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

Not every patient with chest pain needs a CT scan.

Not every patient with a headache needs an MRI.

The art of Emergency Medicine isn’t ordering more tests…
It’s knowing which patient can’t safely leave without one.

#EmergencyMedicine #FOAMed #MedTwitter

[Dr. Faisal Alzahrani @DrFanz10]

Many patient safety incidents are labeled as clinical failures.

They’re often communication failures in disguise.

A missed handover.
An unclear expectation.
A delayed escalation.

#PatientSafety
#HealthcareLeadership