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 →
What is pulseless electric activity (PEA)? Pulseless electrical activity is diagnosed based on a patient having an organized, non-shockable rhythm and no palpable pulse. However, PEA is not always a cardiac arrest state. In many cases, patients with PEA have underlying cardiac activity and detectable arterial blood pressure.1 PEA isRead More →
This post is a continuation of Borderline Personality Disorder – Part 1. In this second post, Dr. Beamish discusses the management of BPD in the emergency department and shares some valuable resources. Borderline Personality Disorder – Part 2 Case 2 A 22 year old female with chronic suicidal ideation isRead More →
Methodology Score: 3/5 Usefulness Score: 3/5 Cooper DJ, et al. JAMA. 2018;320(21):2211-2220. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.17075 Question/Methods: This study was done to determine the effectiveness of early prophylactic hypothermia compared with normothermic management of patients after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Findings: No statistically significant difference in favorable neurologic outcomes at 6 months wasRead More →
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder that describes the emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, recurrent self-harm and suicidal behaviour experienced by many individuals. People suffering from this personality disorder frequently live chaotic lives characterized by extreme stress, interpersonal conflict and maladaptive behaviours – leading them to frequent emergency department visits. BPDRead More →
Methodology: 3.5/5 Usefulness: 3.5/5 The CRASH-3 trial collaborators. The Lancet. 2019 Oct 14. Online First Editorial: CRASH-3: a win for patients with traumatic brain injury Question and Methods: Multi-centre, randomized, placebo-controlled trial looking at whether TXA (1g over 10 minutes followed by infusion over 8 hours) reduces mortality in patientsRead More →
An 84-year-old male presented to the ED after a fall. The patient is confused but he talks about the fire truck ride with the “lights”. He knows the city and the month, but doesn’t know why he’s here. On exam, he has long hair, a full beard, sunken cheeks, andRead More →