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!
Musculoskeletal Ultrasonography to Diagnose Dislocated Shoulders: A Prospective Cohort
Methodology: 3/5 Usefulness: 3/5 Secko MA, et al. Ann Emerg Med. 2020 Aug;76(2):119-128. Question and Methods: Attempted to validated the use of a posterior PoCUS approach in diagnosing shoulder dislocations and assessing the adequacy of reduction in the ED...
Point-of-Care Echocardiography
In non-emergency medicine literature, cardiac Point-of-Care Ultrasound is termed “focused cardiac ultrasound” or “FoCUS,” and has been the subject of national cardiology and intensive care guidelines. It is used by emergency medicine, trauma, internal medicine,...
The STI Cheat sheet
Here we present a STI 'cheat sheet' to commonly encountered STIs - their etiology, workup and treatment. The following recommendations are based on the Canadian PHAC guidelines. We will not cover the important aspect of taking a sexual history, but an excellent...
An approach to acute diarrhea
Does diarrhea run in your family? Ok, that one's bad, we apologize. There is significant practice variation when it comes to acute diarrheal illness - fortunately, there are some recommendations to help guide our practices, and in particular, when we should be sending...
Intro to the University of Ottawa – CCFP(EM) Program and what makes our program so great!
The CCFP(EM) Program at the University of Ottawa was the first of its kind in Canada. We are home to many national and international experts in research, ultrasound, quality improvement and patient safety, medical education and simulation. Some of the unique features...
Distilling it Down Part II: Optimizing Discharge from the ED
In part 1 of this 2-part series, we discussed diagnosis and initial management of alcohol withdrawal. In part 2, we discuss the role of the benzodiazepines on discharge, how to use gabapentin, naltrexone, and communication strategies to optimize discharge to help your...
Alcohol Withdrawal Algorithm
1. If your patient fits DSM5 diagnostic criteria for alcohol withdrawal: NALTREXONE GABAPENTIN Naltrexone 25mg PO daily x 4d, then 50mg PO daily ~$2.81 per pill, or LU code 532 if on Ontario Drug Benefit/ODSP Contraindications: - Liver disease (LFTs >3x ULN)...
Distilling it Down Part I: Alcohol Withdrawal in the ED
In Ontario, Canada, alcohol-related ED visits have increased 4.4x faster than the overall increase in visits from 2003-2016, and was responsible for more admissions than heart attacks in 2016. In part 1 of this 2-part series, we will discuss tips for the diagnosis and...
Patient Handout for Help with Substance Use – Ottawa
Download PDF of Patient Handout HERE Patient Handout for Help with Substance Use Health care professionals can help you achieve your goals for your substance use. Depending on your situation, there are medications available to help decrease cravings and resources to...
Video Laryngoscopy Compared to Augmented Direct Laryngoscopy in Adult Emergency Department Tracheal Intubations: A National Emergency Airway Registry (NEAR) Study
Methodology: 2/5 Usefulness: 4/5 Brown CA 3rd, et al. Acad Emerg Med. 2020 Feb;27(2):100-108. Question and Methods: This was one the largest prospective, observational, ED-only airway studies to date comparing first-pass success (FPS) rates in “augmented” DL (A-DL)...