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!
Short Oral Antibiotic Therapy for Pediatric Febrile Urinary Tract Infections: A Randomized Trial
Methodology: 3.5/5 Usefulness: 2.5/5 Montini G, et al. Pediatrics. 2024 Jan 1;153(1):e2023062598. Question and Methods: This multicenter, parallel-group randomized controlled trial intended to determine the non-inferiority of a 5-day versus 10-day course of oral...
Trust No One, Believe Nothing, Pre-Oxygenation is Key
Your patients need you to start rethinking what you know about pre-oxygenation. The peri-intubation period is a physiologically hazardous time; when we feel forced to act in critical situations, we often try to speed things up and cut corners. We hope to convince you,...
Restrictive or Liberal Transfusion Strategy in Myocardial Infarction and Anemia
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 3.5/5 Carson JL, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023 Dec 28;389(26):2446-2456. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2307983. Questions and methods: This multicenter, open-label, RCT of 3604 patients with MI with anemia compared 30-day all-cause mortality and...
PTM Journal Club: Trauma Care
In this month's PTM Journal Club, we explored the most recent literature on trauma care in the pre-hospital setting. If you missed last months PTM Journal Club, make sure to check-it out by clicking HERE. Ketamine vs Morphine for Out-Of-Hospital Traumatic...
PTM Journal Club Recap: Glucocorticoid and Hemodynamics
At this month's PTM Journal Club, we explored the use of high-dose glucocorticoid on hemodynamics in the prehospital setting; in particular, the STEROHCA trial conducted in Denmark. Effect of prehospital high-dose glucocorticoid on hemodynamics in patients...
“Tranq Dope”: A New Menace
The North American opioid crisis is rapidly expanding, resulting in unprecedented levels of harm and strain on the healthcare system. The opioid epidemic is not new to ED providers across the country, but the true extent of harm is quite shocking. In Canada, there has...
Early versus Later Anticoagulation for Stroke with Atrial Fibrillation
Methodology: 3/5 Usefulness: 2/5 Fischer U, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jun 29;388(26):2411-2421. Question and Methods: RCT at 103 sites to compare outcomes at 30 days for early versus late DOAC initiation among patients with ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation....
Dermatology in Skin of Colour: Pigment, Perception, and Rash Decisions
Skin conditions affect approximately one-third of the world's population and are the 4th most common cause of disease.1,2. As the largest organ in the human body, the skin frequently manifests early signs of various diseases, serving as a pivotal clue in the...
Effect of Bougie Use on First-Attempt Success in Tracheal Intubations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Methodology: 4/5 Usefulness: 3/5 von Hellmann R, et al. Ann Emerg Med. 2024 Feb;83(2):132-144. Question and Methods: Systematic review of 18 studies (12 RCT) of adult patients comparing bougie use vs standard of care in tracheal intubations to evaluate first-attempt...
Hypothermia & Non-Freezing Cold Injury
Please refer to Dr. Mark McKinney’s Grand Round Summary from March 2020 (Parts 1 and 2) for a comprehensive literature review on the topic of resuscitating hypothermic patients. In this blog post, I’ll go into a more in-depth review of the staging of hypothermia and...