Living with Shiftwork – Part 1
Sleep and food are truly amongst the most basic of needs – in fact, they’re on the same level as breathing (and excretion!) on Maslow’s pyramid of needs. Even the CanMEDS framework of the Royal College states that as a Professional, physicians must be able to manage...
Self-obtained vaginal swabs are not inferior to provider-performed endocervical sampling for emergency department diagnosis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis
Methodology: 3/5 Usefulness:2/5 Chinnock B, et al. Acad Emerg Med. 2021 Jun;28(6):612-620. doi: 10.1111/acem.14213. Question and Methods: This prospective observational cohort trial sought to assess if self-obtained vaginal swabs were not inferior to...
Emergency Department Deliveries – Part 2
We are back with Part-2 of our blog series on Emergency Department Deliveries. If you haven’t already, check-out Part 1 HERE. In this post, we will explore postpartum hemorrhage and resuscitative hysterotomy: Managing postpartum hemorrhage Running a maternal...
Direct-access physiotherapy to help manage patients with musculoskeletal disorders in an emergency department: Results of a randomized controlled trial
Methodology: 2/5 Usefulness: 2.5/5 Gagnon R, et al. Acad Emerg Med. 2021 Aug;28(8):848-858. doi: 10.1111/acem.14237. Question and Methods: RCT to assess if direct access to Physiotherapy (PT) in the ED could reduce pain interference on function, pain intensity as well...
Clamp the Cord: Emergency Department Deliveries – Part 1
Emergency department (ED) deliveries can be among the most stressful events an emergency physician can encounter. We must assess both mother and fetus simultaneously and be prepared to manage both maternal and neonatal resuscitations and any complications within the...
Effect of 12 mg vs 6 mg of Dexamethasone on the Number of Days Alive Without Life Support in Adults With COVID-19 and Severe Hypoxemia: The COVID STEROID 2 Randomized Trial
Methodology: 3.5/5 Usefulness: 3.5/5 COVID STEROID 2 Trial Group, Munch MW, et al. JAMA. 2021 Nov 9;326(18):1807-1817. doi: 10.1001/jama.2021.18295. Question and Methods: This blinded randomized clinical trial compared the effects of 12 mg daily relative to 6 mg daily...
Intravenous Lipid Emulsion: The New Fad Diet
Much uncertainty still exists surrounding intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) therapy. The precise mechanism of action remains unknown, no definitive consensus exists regarding its clinical indications, and there are no high quality studies evaluating its potential...
Topical pain control for corneal abrasions: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Methodology: 3/5 Usefulness: 3.5/5 Yu CW, et al. Acad Emerg Med. 2021 Aug;28(8):890-908. doi: 10.1111/acem.14222. Questions and Methods: The authors sought to determine if the 6 common pain therapies for corneal abrasions decrease healing time, pain and if they have...
When it comes to EDI, can we get it wrong?
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) has become an important rallying point and component of organizational structures. Recognizing the importance of equity in the social determinants of health, healthcare organizations have begun to place very specific focus on this...
A randomized double-blind trial comparing the effect on pain of an oral sucrose solution versus placebo in children 1-3 months old needing bladder catheterization
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 2/5 Desjardins MP, et al. CJEM. 2021 Sep;23(5):655-662. doi: 10.1007/s43678-021-00130-x. Epub 2021 May 26. Question and Methods: This double-blinded RCT compares analgesic efficacy of oral sucrose versus placebo in bladder catheterization...