We are excited to introduce the Sixth edition of The Ottawa Handbook of Emergency Medicine. Your bedside guide for approaches to various Emergency Medicine presentations.
Highlights of the Sixth edition include the addition of: Oncologic emergencies, approach to the pregnant patient, geriatrics and more!
PTM Journal Club: Analgesia on the Ski Hill
As the ski season peaks in February, learn how intranasal fentanyl as analgesia is becoming the go-to solution for ski patrols, ensuring rapid pain relief for injured skiers right on the hill in this months PTM Journal Club Review. Background and Objectives:...
BHP Corner: Feedback, the Pulse of Progress
With a new year, comes a new BHP Corner. For those who are new to this part of our EM Ottawa Blog, it is here that we cover up and coming topics of discussion within our Regional Paramedicine Program for Eastern Ontario (RPPEO). Written by the base-hospital...
Vernakalant versus procainamide for rapid cardioversion of patients with acute atrial fibrillation (RAFF4): randomised clinical trial
Methodology Score: 4.5/5 Usefulness Score: 4/5 Stiell IG, et al. BMJ. 2025 Nov 11;391:e085632. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2025-085632. Question and Methods: This is a multi-center, open-label, patient randomised trial comparing the effectiveness and safety of cardioversion with...
PTM Journal Club: Video Laryngoscopy vs Direct Laryngoscopy
In this month's Journal Club, we explored the highly debated topic of video laryngoscopy versus direct laryngoscopy and its application in the prehospital setting. Background There exists a breadth of research which compares video laryngoscopy (VL) to direct...
Ketamine or Etomidate for Tracheal Intubation of Critically Ill Adults
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 4/5 N Engl J Med. 2025 Dec 9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2511420. Question and Methods: This multi-center, open label RCT of 2359 patients compared 28-day mortality in patients randomized to receiving ketamine or etomidate for their sedation prior...
Don’t eat that: caustic and button battery ingestions
"Don't put it in your mouth!" - a quote from every parent at some point when raising their child, or a classic 80s Canadian commercial. Sometimes, though, this warning comes too late or goes unheeded. What do we do in the ED when we see a patient who has ingested...
Rib Fractures and Regional Anesthesia: Rib Blocks
Rib fractures are a common traumatic injury seen in the ED, and are diagnosed in over 30% blunt trauma patients (Liman et al., 2003). The traditional approach to rib fracture analgesia in the ED relies heavily on systemic medications, like opioids. While this strategy...
Caring for the Imminently Dying Patient: When resuscitation shifts to comfort in the Emergency Department
As Emergency Physicians, we are all experts in saving lives, yet we are often least prepared for the moment when a patient is imminently dying. The hardest decision isn’t starting resuscitation; it’s knowing when it is non-beneficial and ensuring the patient is...
Insulin on the Run: DKA Management Update
As of 2024, approximately 15% of Canadians live with Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Type I DM accounts for 5-10% of these cases and is more commonly associated with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). Patient's with DKA may present with varied levels of acuity, requiring prompt...
2025 AHS Guidelines for Parenteral Migraine Treatment in the ED
Migraine is among the most common presentations to emergency departments (EDs), yet its management remains highly variable. Despite strong evidence supporting specific parenteral therapies, ineffective treatments persist while high-value procedural options remain...