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!
Corticosteroid Therapy for Patients Hospitalized With Community- Acquired Pneumonia A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 3.5/5 Siemieniuk RA, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163(7):519-528. Abstract Link This is a well-done systematic review & meta-analysis elucidating whether corticosteroid therapy...
Effect of Dilute Apple Juice and Preferred Fluids vs Electrolyte Maintenance Solution on Treatment Failure Among Children With Mild Gastroenteritis A Randomized Clinical Trial
Journal Club Methodology Score: 4.5/5 Usefulness Score: 4.5/5 Freedman, SB, et al. JAMA. 2016;315(18):1966-1974. Abstract Link This single centre, single blinded non-inferiority randomized controlled trial suggests that in children 6-60mo with...
ACHY BREAKY HEART: Risk Scores for Assessing Chest Pain in the ED
In order to help evaluate patients who present with chest pain many clinical chest pain scores have been developed. The aim of this post is to: Emergency Department (ED) physicians must assess and risk stratify patients presenting with chest pain nearly every shift....
Chest wall thickness and decompression failure: A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing anatomic locations in needle thoracostomy
Journal Club Summary Methodology: 2.2/5 Usefulness: 3/5 Laan DV,et al. Injury. 2016 Apr;47(4):797-804. Abstract Link This systematic review and meta-analysis has found that the 4th/5th intercostal space at the anterior axillary line has the lowest mean chest...
Diagnosing Acute Heart Failure in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 3/5 Usefulness Score: 2.7/5 Martindale JL, et al. Acad Emerg Med. 2016 Mar;23(3):223-42 Abstract Link In patients presenting to the ED with undifferentiated dyspnea and a moderate pre-test probability of...
#Reanimate16: What We Can Learn From Resuscitators Around the World?
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains a major cause of mortality for which we rely on advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) guidelines to manage within the ED. However, when these guidelines fail, we are left with almost no additional options as lifesaving...
Amiodarone, Lidocaine, or Placebo in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 3/5 Kudenchuk PJ, et al. N Engl J Med. 2016 May 5;374(18):1711-22. Abstract Link This double blind RCT conducted by the ROC enrolled >3000 patients with out of hospital shock refractory cardiac...
Are You Afraid of the Dark? Suboxone and Methadone in the ED
Although methadone and suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) have tremendous benefits in the management of opioid use disorder, unfamiliarity with these treatments can make any clinician uncomfortable and can lead to substandard care for these patients. This summary will...
The Canadian Syncope Risk Score
Syncope is an commonly encountered problem in Emergency Medicine, with the potential for significant morbidity and mortality to patients. Unfortunately, to date, there have not been any reliable decision tools or instruments to help us in our assessment of the syncope...
Tips for Graduating Residents
After more than a decade of undergraduate and postgraduate education, your time as residents is over! Your "watch has ended" and you are about to become THE most responsible physician for all your patients. Before absolute panic sets in here are some tips to make your...