We are excited to introduce the Fifth edition of The Ottawa Handbook of Emergency Medicine. Your bedside guide for approaches to various Emergency Medicine presentations.
Highlights of the Fifth edition include the addition of: general surgery emergencies, pediatric orthopedic presentations, and updates in pediatric fever + more!
Infographic for the Protected Code Blue – Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in the Emergency Department during the COVID-19 pandemic
This article published in CJEM 2020 by Dr. Sarah McIsaac and colleagues is freely accessible online and features an explanation of what the Protected Code Blue is meant to accomplish and how to easily execute it in your Emergency Department. Infographic created by Dr....
Nurse-Led ACLS
What is nurse-led ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)? A resuscitation model where a nurse takes on a leadership role coordinating and running the ACLS algorithm as part of the overall resuscitation effort. Nursing leadership has always played an integral role in...
COVID-19. Part I: Virus, Virology and Vaccines
In the current age of the COVID-19 pandemic, we find ourselves inundated with headline articles and millions of daily social media posts on the novel coronavirus. For the frontline healthcare worker, the massive amount of online information can be overwhelming, and...
The twitter Pandemic: the critical role of information dissemination
Originally published in CJEM 2020, we explore the role of twitter in the dissemination of medical information/misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the original article for more information!
Oseltamivir plus usual care versus usual care for influenza-like illness in primary care: an open-label, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial.
Methodology: 3/5 Usefulness: 3/5 Butler CC, et al. Lancet. 2020 Jan 4;395(10217):42-52. Editorial: Neuraminidase inhibitors for influenza-like illness in primary care. Question and Methods: This was a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of 3266 patients, where...
Embracing Over-Preparedness during COVID-19
Fear, while on a mission (see below for a French translation). It was not that long ago, my husband was strapped on a missile (on purpose) at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. I sat in the dirt at 17:21, on the bare Kazak Steppes, eyes focused on the Soyuz...
Conservative versus Interventional Treatment for Spontaneous Pneumothorax
Methodology: 2/5 Usefulness: 3/5 Brown SGA, et al. N Engl J Med. 2020 Jan 30;382(5):405-415. Question and Methods: Is conservative/observational treatment of moderate-large spontaneous pneumothorax non-inferior to chest tube insertion? Multicentre RCT at 39 hospitals...
Solid Organ Donation from the Emergency Department – Missed Donor Opportunities
In this post, we aim to highlight the perspectives of family, physicians, the emergency department and pre-hospital medicine in regards to organ donation. Types of Organ Tissue Donation There are 2 main types of deceased organ donation including neurologic...
C-Reactive Protein Testing to Guide Antibiotic Prescribing for COPD Exacerbations.
Methodology: 3/5 Usefulness: 2.5/5 Butler CC, et al. N Engl J Med. 2019 Jul 11;381(2):111-120 Editorial: COPD Exacerbations – A Target for Antibiotic Stewardship. Question and Methods: This was a multicenter RCT to determine if POCT CRP testing vs usual care may help...
An open letter to Canadians from the frontlines
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...