What is Community Paramedicine? The international round table on community paramedicine provides the following definition: “…a model of care whereby paramedics apply their training and skills in non-traditional community-based environments outside of the usual emergency response/transport model. The community paramedic practices in an expanded role; working in non-traditional roles using existing skills.”(1) Models ofRead More →
A healthy patient presents to the Emergency Department (ED) where you are working one night. He complains of a four-day history of progressively worsening fatigue, constant and diffuse headache, neck stiffness, fever, chills and night sweats. There was no associated photophobia or phonophobia. He denies any infective symptoms, sick contactsRead More →
RAFF2 Ian Stiell and colleagues are back at it with atrial fibrillation; The RAFF2 trial (Electrical versus Chemical cardioversion for Emergency Department patients with Atrial Fibrillation (RAFF2); A partial factorial randomized trial) was published in The Lancet this week. Acute atrial fibrillation is an irregular dysrhythmia that should be treatedRead More →
And on the 6th day Graham bellowed; “let thee environment be considered among thy seven dimensions of wellness.” And so, the environment was added to the wheel of physical, social, spiritual, occupational, intellectual, financial and emotional wellness. Although I have to confess, compared to the authors of this week’s blogs;Read More →
On a sweltering night in July, I’m called to see a patient with difficulty breathing. I work in Toronto, where past estimates have placed the number of heat-related deaths at about 120 each year. With Canada heating twice as fast as the world average, that number is likely rising. InRead More →
Increasing awareness of the urgency of climate change, led by the youth climate movement, and growing felt impacts of the health effects of climate change, including the devastating bushfires in Australia, are fuelling a global increase in interest in the concepts of “eco-anxiety” and “ecological grief.” How to cope withRead More →
As a species, we’re making bad choices – polluting the planet and making life difficult now, and perhaps impossible in the future. As physicians, it is time to do what you do best: heal the planet. Ok sure, that sounds corny, but take a listen and let me explain howRead More →
I’m a boomer Canadian Emergency physician, with a special interest in climate change. My oral fellowship exam took place in a small hotel room where facial bone x-rays were held up against the Montreal skyline awaiting my interpretation. I went directly from resident to ED director of what would ultimatelyRead More →
I’ll admit it, I’m scared. Every day, my newsfeed is filled with more news stories and scientific papers underlining the fact that our society’s current trajectory is akin to suicide as a species. As someone who has grown accustomed to civilization, even grown to love it, I fear for theRead More →
It’s hard to believe that EMOttawa and CAEP (Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians) are hosting the 4th annual Canadian Emergency Medicine Wellness Week (January 20th to 24th 2020)! Over the years, we’ve published blog posts from EM leaders across the country sharing personal stories and practical tips on how toRead More →