Author: Shahbaz Syed

Author

  • Dr. Shahbaz Syed is a FRCPC Emergency Physician at the University of Ottawa, he is also the assistant director of Digital Scholarship and Knowledge Dissemination, and Co-Editor in Chief of the EMOttawa Blog.

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Critical Care, Featured, Grand Round Summaries, Resuscitation

Top EMOttawa Posts of 2025

This year on the EMOttawa Blog, our team continued to focus on clinically grounded, practical, and thoughtful emergency medicine scholarship. From procedures and... Read more.
dark cloud
Commentary, Featured

Sleigh What You Think You Know (About White and Dark Clouds)

Every December, the Emergency Department changes character a little. Lights show up around the nursing station. Someone brings in shortbread that appears to pre-date... Read more.
urine tox
Commentary, Featured, Toxicology

Blurred Lines: The Ethical Pitfalls of Urine Drug Screens

Urine drug (or toxicologic) screens are a fairly standard tool used in addictions, psychiatry and the Emergency Department (ED), often employed to detect substance... Read more.
precedex
Airway, Anesthesiology, Commentary, Critical Care, Featured, Resuscitation

Is there a Precedence for Precedex in the ED?

Precedex (dexmedetomidine) is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist increasingly used in critical care environments for sedation and anxiolysis. It offers a unique profile... Read more.