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!
Are We Triage Monkeys or Gods? Big and Small Decisions in the ED
While the term ‘God Squad’ reflects a real committee from the 1960s, we use it here critically to examine the risks of unchecked decision-making power in emergency care. This is a photo of the Admissions and Policy Committee of the Seattle Artificial Kidney Centre,...
Unexpected Souvenirs: The Latest in Fever in the Returning Traveller
Global travel has surged back in full force following the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing with it an important clinical consideration for emergency physicians—evaluating febrile patients with recent travel history. Despite the growing need, many emergency clinicians still...
The Code Crew: Medications That Save the Beat!
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is sudden, silent, and devastating, claiming 9 out of 10 lives before they ever reach a hospital. In Canada, approximately 60,000 OHCAs occur annually — that’s one every nine minutes — and fewer than 1 in 10 people survive1....
Can we avoid casting for suspected scaphoid fractures? A multicenter randomized controlled trial
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 3/5 Cohen A, et al. J Orthop Traumatol. 2025 Mar 5;26(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s10195-025-00822-5. Question and Methods: Authors tested if bandaging was noninferior to casting for suspected scaphoid fractures by conducting a multicenter...
Ottawa Handbook of Emergency Medicine – 6th Edition!
We’re excited to announce the release of the 6th edition of the Ottawa Handbook of Emergency Medicine – a peer-reviewed, point-of-care resource created to support you in the emergency department. With new and improved content, this edition continues to build on the...
Rapid Acute Coronary Syndrome Evaluation Over One Hour With High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin I: A United States-Based Stepped-Wedge, Randomized Trial
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 3.5/5 Miller J, et al. Ann Emerg Med. 2024 Oct;84(4):399-408. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2024.04.024. Question and Methods: The Authors assessed whether a 0/1-hour high-sensitivity troponin protocol increased safe ED discharges compared...
Code Blind: Eye’m losing it! Vision Loss in the ED
Imagine waking up one day, and the world around you is no longer as you’ve always seen it. The numbers on your alarm clock blur into nothingness, or half of your vision seems to have vanished altogether. Panic sets in as you make your way to the emergency department....
Phenobarbital treatment of alcohol withdrawal in the emergency department: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 2/5 Lee CM, et al. Acad Emerg Med. 2024 May;31(5):515-524. Question and Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the safety and efficacy of phenobarbital to benzodiazepines for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal...
Navigating Twists, Turns and Tears: BCVI in the ED (Part 2)
Blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) involves vessel injuries that occur from trauma mechanisms commonly seen in the emergency department: falls down stairs, motor vehicle collisions, and facial trauma. By identifying high-risk patients early, we can decrease the risk...
Temporary mechanical circulatory support in infarct-related cardiogenic shock: an individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised trials with 6-month follow-up
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 1/5 Thiele H, et al. Lancet. 2024 Sep 14;404(10457):1019-1028. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01448-X Question and Methods: Does routine early use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) reduce mortality in acute myocardial infarction...