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!
Bite Club: Comprehensive Guide to Bite Management (Part 2)
In Part 1 of this 2 part series, we focused on animal bite management. In Part 2, we will look at our approach to human bites and considerations around addressing Rabies related concerns. Human Bites Human bites can present as: Occlusive bites: Bites from human...
Bite Club: Comprehensive Guide to Bite Management (Part 1)
On first glance, bite management may seem like a seemingly simple presentation in the ED. However, in today’s literature, there remains a lot of controversy regarding bite management. Who do you give antibiotics to? Can you suture the wound? When should you worry...
Early Restrictive or Liberal Fluid Management for Sepsis-Induced Hypotension
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 3/5 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury Clinical Trials Network; et al. N Engl J Med. 2023 Feb 9;388(6):499-510. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2212663. Epub 2023 Jan 21. Question and...
“What do you do for a living?”
“So, what do you do for a living?” “Oh, Emergency Medicine! You must have some wild stories, what’s the craziest thing you’ve seen?” If you work in Emergency Medicine (or to be honest any aspect of medicine) you have likely had some version of this conversation...
Early Extracorporeal CPR for Refractory Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 2.5/5 Suverein MM, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jan 26;388(4):299-309. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2204511. Question and Methods: Does eCPR increase survival at 30 days with good neurologic outcome in refractory OHCA caused by an initial cardiac...
RV Failure and Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Right here, Right now! Pumping up our Knowledge on Right Ventricular Failure and Acute Pulmonary Embolism The treatment of patients with right ventricular failure from pulmonary embolism follows some key principles that differ from our typical...
Risk of Traumatic Brain Injuries in Infants Younger than 3 Months With Minor Blunt Head Trauma
Methodology: 3/5 Usefulness: 3.5/5 Abid Z, et al. Ann Emerg Med. 2021 Sep;78(3):321-330.e1. Question and Methods: The study assessed the risk of brain injuries and fractures among infants <3 months with/without PECARN low-risk criteria by secondary analysis of...
Optimistic Nihilism in Medicine
Spiritualism represents an important aspect within the domains of wellness. Now, spiritualism is a very personal and individual thing, but having some element of spiritualism has demonstrated benefits to one’s mental health, and our personal philosophies can help...
Confronting the Storm: The Overactive Thyroid
“When You Hear Hooves, Think Horse, Not Zebra” – Dr. Theodore Woodward This above sentence is a dictum that every medical student has heard at some point during their training. It's the reason, that when someone comes in febrile and agitated our first thoughts...
Canadian Women Physicians Day!
Canadian Women Physicians Day was established in 2021 with the objective of honouring women’s achievements in medicine. It marks the day that Dr. Jennie Trout became the first woman licensed to practice medicine in Canada on March 11, 1875. In 2023, female...