Your friendly neighborhood Emergency doctor here with a message for Canadians. Hey Canada, sitting here on the frontlines – we see you. Staying home, helping to gather PPE, supporting us, and feeding us, you’re helping us to do our jobs. When we see you helping to support frontline workers, itRead More →
Hot off the press from CJEM; End-of-life care in the Emergency Department for the patient imminently dying of a highly transmissible acute respiratory infection (such as COVID-19).Read More →
Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 4/5 Schüpke S, et al N Engl J Med. 2019 Oct 17;381(16):1524-1534. Editorial: Ticagrelor or Prasugrel in Acute Coronary Syndromes – The Winner Takes It All? Question and Methods: This open-label multicenter trial was the first head-to-head trial examining Ticagrelor vs Prasugrel as part ofRead More →
Some helpful tips on how to #StayHome but maintaining your sanity while practicing social distancing!Read More →
What is Bupropion? Bupropion is an anti-depressant commonly prescribed for seasonal affective disorder, as a smoking cessation aid, and off-label in the management of major depressive disorder. You may know it by the trade names Wellbutrin, Zyban or Champix. While frequently compared to SSRIs, it has a unique mechanism ofRead More →
As Bob Dylan once said; “Times, they are a-changin’”. With respect to the novel coronavirus-19 (COVID-19), the situation in Canada and around the globe is changing rapidly and aggressively. As part of the first responder network, Emergency Departments (ED) and it’s health care teams are in a powerful position toRead More →
Here we present part two on our series on hypothermia. For more on the assessment, resuscitation, and management of the hypothermic patient, see part one. Prognostication of cardiac arrest in hypothermia Indicators of cardiac arrest before cooling (Brown 2012) Major trauma Witnessed normothermic arrest Avalanche burial <35 min Patients withRead More →
Hypothermia results in slightly over one hundred deaths per year in Canada; typically as a result of primary hypothermia, frostbite and other cold exposure injuries (Toronto Public Health, 2014). In the United States, this is estimated at 1500 deaths annually (Baumgartner 2008). Both are likely underestimates of the scope ofRead More →
Community-acquired pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death in Canada, and combined with influenza is the 7th most common cause of death overall. Diagnosis The 3 main pillars leading to the diagnosis of pneumonia are as follow: Evidence of infection (fever, chills, leukocytosis) Signs and symptoms localized to the respiratory system (cough,Read More →
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 →