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!
Sensitivity of Bedside Ultrasound and Supine Anteroposterior Chest Radiographs for the Identification of Pneumothorax After Blunt Trauma
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 4/5 Wilkerson RG, Stone MB. Acad Emerg Med. 2010 Jan;17(1):11-7. Article Link This evidence-based literature review of four prospective observational studies...
Red flags to screen for malignancy and fracture in patients with low back pain: systematic review
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 2.5/5 Usefulness Score: 2.5/5 Downie A, et al. BMJ 2013;347:f7095 Article Link This Cochrane review of the diagnostic accuracy of red flags for fracture or malignancy in patients with low back pain in multiple...
Effects of tranexamic acid on death, vascular occlusive events, and blood transfusion in trauma patients with significant haemorrhage (CRASH-2): a randomised, placebo-controlled trial
Journal Club Summary Landmark Series Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 4/5 CRASH-2 trial collaborators Lancet. 2010 Jul 3;376(9734):23-32. Article Link This large RCT assessed the effect of early administration of tranexamic acid to trauma...
Reduction of adverse effects from intravenous acetylcysteine treatment for paracetamol poisoning: a randomised controlled trial
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 2/5 Bateman DN, et al. Lancet. 2014 Feb 22;383(9918):697-704 Article Link This 2x2 factorial, intention to treat, randomized controlled trial of paracetamol overdose showed a modified...
Rapid Blood-Pressure Lowering in Patients with Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 2/5 INTERACT2 Investigators. N Engl J Med. 2013 Jun 20;368(25):2355-65. Article Link This large multicentre, partially blinded RCT compared aggressively lowering SBP to <140 vs....
Efficacy of pain control with topical lidocaine–epinephrine–tetracaine during laceration repair with tissue adhesive in children: a randomized controlled trial
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4.5/5 Usefulness Score: 3.5/5 Harman S, Zemek R, Duncan MJ, Ying Y, Petrcich W. CMAJ. 2013 Sep 17;185(13):E629-34. Article Link This study was a double blind RCT which demonstrated that using topical LET on...
Bedside focused echocardiography as predictor of survival in cardiac arrest patients: a systematic review.
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 4/5 Blyth L, Atkinson P, Gadd K, Lang E. Acad Emerg Med. 2012 Oct;19(10):1119-26. Article Link This systematic review of 8 studies found that when transthoracic ultrasound is performed...
Effect of heart rate control with esmolol on hemodynamic and clinical outcomes in patients with septic shock: a randomized clinical trial.
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 4/5 Usefulness Score: 2/5 Morelli A, et al. JAMA. 2013 Oct 23;310(16):1683-91 Article Link This single centre phase 2B trial randomized septic patients still requiring vasopressors after 24hrs of EGDT to...
Safe exclusion of pulmonary embolism using the Wells rule and qualitative D-dimer testing in primary care: prospective cohort study.
Journal Club Summary Methodology Score: 3/5 Usefulness Score: 2.5/5 Geersing GJ, et al. BMJ. 2012 Oct 4;345:e6564. Article Link This was a prospective cohort validation study using the Wells clinical decision rule combined with D-dimer to exclude...
Targeted temperature management at 33°C versus 36°C after cardiac arrest
Journal Club Summary Landmark Article Series Nielsen N, et al.; TTM Trial Investigators. N Engl J Med. 2013 Dec 5;369(23):2197-206. Methodology Score: 5/5 Usefulness Score: 5/5 Article Link In this multicenter, international RCT of...
