Emergency Medicine Cases

In this Journal Jam podcast, special guest Dr. Mizuho Morrison joins Anton and Justin to clear up the muddy waters of therapeutic hypothermia with a deep dive into the world’s literature...

In this EM Quick Hits: Walter Himmel on new diseases associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, Leeor Sommer on the evolution of epiglottitis - adult epiglottitis clinical pearls, Sarah Reid on how to pick up HSP, Anand Swaminathan on an approach to management of heat stroke, Justin Morgenstern on the association between pediatric Bell's palsy and leukemia...

In Geriatric Trauma Part 2 we answer questions such as: what are the indications for transfer to a trauma center in older patients with rib fractures and why? Can we accurately prognosticate older trauma patients in the ED? How can we best engage family members in goals of care discussions for the older trauma patient? What are the risk factors for elder abuse that we need to be aware of in the ED? How can we best minimize the risk for recurrent falls and bounce backs for the older trauma patient who is discharged from the ED? and many more...

Just as pediatric patients are not small adults, geriatric patients are not just old adults. In this Part 1 of our 2-part EM Cases podcast series on Geriatric Trauma, Dr. Barbara Haas, Dr. Camilla Wong and Dr. Bourke Tillman answer questions such as: why are older patients under-triaged to trauma centers and how does that affect outcomes? What is the utility of the Shock Index in older patients? How should we adjust airway management for the older trauma patient? Which older patients do not require head or c-spine imaging after a ground level fall? Why is it challenging, yet of utmost importance, to clear the c-spine of a geriatric trauma patient as soon as possible? When can anticoagulation medications be safely resumed after an older person has sustained a minor head injury? and many more...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast: Justin Morgenstern on the evidence for NG tubes in SBO, Jesse MacLaren on recognition of hyperacute T-waves vs other causes of tall T-waves, Brit Long on malignant otitis externa clinical pearls, Salim Rezaie on the value of CCTA in NSTEMI, Justin Morgenstern on the value of CCTA in low-risk chest pain, Hans Rosenberg on how to use the Canadian Syncope Score and it's validation in Canada...

In this main episode podcast we discuss the conservative management of large spontaneous pneumothorax, when a pigtail chest tube with Heimlich valve is indicated, detection of persistent air leak, removal of chest tube, surgical indications for spontaneous pneumothorax, management pitfalls and more...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast: Arun Sayal on the nuances of assessment for scaphoid fractures, Justin Morgenstern on the evidence for therapeutic hypothermia post-arrest and the TTM2 trial, Sarah Reid on HEADS-ED mental health screening tool for children, youth and young adults, Andrew Petrosoniak on pelvic trauma and pelvic binder tips and pitfalls, Michelle Klaiman on what we need to know about Kratom and Anand Swaminathan on why femoral lines are often a great central line choice...

With the help of a special guest, EBM guru Dr. Ken Milne of the The SGEM, Anton and Justin look at all the various potential indications for TXA and review the available evidence. Should we be using TXA for epistaxis, postpartum hemorrhage, hyphema or hemoptysis? Is it a miracle drug that stops all bleeding? Or has it been drastically overhyped? Was CRASH-2 enough to be definitive, or does the classic EBM mantra of "we need more studies" remain true?...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast: Anand Swaminathan on vasopressor failure, Brit Long and Michael Gottlieb on aspleic considerations, Sarah Reid on a bronchiolitis update and evolving patterns in the COVID era, Hans Rosenberg and Lindsay Cheskes on ICD electrical storm, Justin Morgenstern on night shift tips...

There is a long list of rare neuromuscular diseases. Nonetheless, there are a few that you are likely to see in the ED, that are relevant to Emergency Medicine because they require timely diagnosis and treatment. In this Part 2 of our 2-part series on acute motor weakness with Roy Baskind and George Porfiris, we keep it short and simple by limiting our discussion to the key clinical clues and management strategies of two of the more common acute life-threatening neuromuscular diseases, myasthenia gravis and Guillain Barré syndrome, and how to distinguish them from their mimics...

In this Part 1 of our 2-part podcast on Acute Motor Weakness we introduce a five step approach to acute motor weakness with Dr. Roy Baskind Dr. George Porfiris: 1. Does the complaint of weakness represent a true loss of motor power? 2. The geography of weakness - patterns of motor power loss 3. Timing, course and fatigability of acute motor weakness 4. Distinguish upper versus lower motor neuron weakness by degree and speed of movement 5. Differentiate the types of lower motor neuron lesions - peripheral neuropathy vs neuromuscular junction vs myopathy, as well as review the indication for endotracheal intubation for the patient with neuromuscular weakness...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast: Anand Swaminathan on the approach to cardiogenic shock, Hania Bielawska on the myths of radiation dose in pregnant patients, Hans Rosenberg & Michael Gottlieb on PoCUS in airway management, Menaka Pai on VIPIT following AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination, Brit Long & Michael Gottlieb on Angiotensin II for emergency clinicians, Michael Schull on tips on the safety of short-term steroid use....

In Part 1 of our 2-part series on bradycardia and bradydysrhythmias we discussed a practical approach with electrophysiologist Paul Dorian and EM doc Tarlan Hedayati. In this, part 2, we discuss details of treatment. We answer questions such as: When should pacing be prioritized over medications and vice versa? What are the latest recommendations about dosing of atropine and when is atropine likely to be detrimental? How is the treatment of bradycardia different in the patient with hypothermia? Cardiac ischemia? Myxedema coma? AV nodal blocker overdose? What are the most common pitfalls in utilizing transcutaneous and transvenous pacing? and many more...

How do we figure out when bradycardia is due to a medical illness and when it is a primary cardiac problem? What are the 4 immediate life threatening diagnosis that we have to entertain and address in the first few minutes of the sick bradycardic patients? What are some key ECG patterns that are sometimes missed by ED docs that can have devastating consequences? How can we better understand Torsades de Pointes by understanding AV blocks? How can we better understand Mobitz l and ll using 'The Dorian' approach? What is BRASH syndrome and how can we recognize it? In this main episode podcast 4-step Approach to Bradycardia and Bradydysrhythmias with electrophysiologist, educator and researcher Dr. Paul Dorian and Chair of Education for the ED at Cook County Hospital Dr. Tarlan Hedayati, we dig deep into bradycardia...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast: Justin Morgenstern on colchicine for COVID pneumonia, Victoria Myers on sodium bicarbonate in cardiac arrest, Brit Long on troponin in chronic kidney disease, Michelle Klaiman on GHB overdose, Ian Walker on iloprost for frostbite, Sarah Reid on tips on avoiding patient and parent complaints....

Recent literature suggests that pediatric patients take longer to recover from mild traumatic brain injury compared to adults, and persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) after 1 month occur in up to 30% of children after minor head injury. These children can and should be identified in the ED based on the PPCS clinical risk score. In this EM Cases main episode podcast "Pediatric Minor Head Injury and Concussion" Dr. Sarah Reid and Dr. Roger Zemek discuss how best to incorporate the PECARN and CRASH2 decision tools into your practice, the role of Fast MRI, how to identify children who are at risk for long term sequelae after a minor head injury and how to manage persistent concussion symptoms when a child returns to the ED after a minor head injury...

Anand Swaminathan on LAST prevention, recognition and management, Emily Austin on sodium nitrite suicide kit poisoning, methemoglobinemia and methylene blue, Hans & Erin Rosenberg on post-intubation analgesia and sedation, Salim Rezaie on short-term tetracaine for corneal abrasions new evidence, Jesse MacLaren on differentiating ST deviation in occlusion MI from other causes, Robert Maunder on a 3 step approach to coping and building resilience during the COVID pandemic...

Dr. Jeannie Callum, Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak and Dr. Barbara Haas join Anton in answering the questions: How do you decide when to activate the MHP? How do you know when it is safe to terminate the MHP? What lab tests need to be done, how often, and how should the results be shared with the clinical team? Once the dust settles, what do we need to tell the patient and/or their family about the consequences of being massively transfused? What should be the lab resuscitation targets? Why is serum calcium important to draw in the ED for the patient who is exsanguinating? How do we mitigate the risk of hypothermia? What can hospitals do to mitigate blood wastage? If someone is on anti-platelets or anticoagulants what is the best strategy to ensure the docs in the ED know what to give and how much? Until the results of lab testing come back and hemorrhage pace is slowed, what ratio of plasma to RBCs should we target? What's better, 1:1:1 or 2:1:1? Should we ever consider using Recombinant Factor 7a? If the fibrinogen is low, what is the optimal product and threshold for replacement? When and how much TXA? Anyone you wouldn’t give it to? and many more...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast: Justin Morgenstern on which patients to consider cerebral venous thrombosis in, Maria Ivankovic on diphenhydramine alternatives, Brit Long on abdominal compartment syndrome, Sarah Reid on neonatal "constipation" - when to worry, and Anand Swaminathan on intubating the patient with metabolic acidosis...

What are the indications for steroids in patients with pneumonia besides those with concurrent COPD exacerbations, ARDS or adrenal shock? What is the evidence for benefit for steroids in CAP, the flu and COVID pneumonia? And if there is benefit, do those benefits outweigh the potential harms? To help us sort this out, Justin and Anton have the mighty return of a special guest - Dr. Andrew Morris in this Journal Jam podcast...

In this Part 2 of our AKI series we discuss the timing, volume and IV crystalloid of choice in AKI patients as well as dialysis indications and timing in light of the recent STARRT-AKI trial. We answer the questions: are piperacillin and vancomycin in combination contraindicated in patients with severe AKI? Is vasopressin preferred over norepinephrine in patients with AKI and septic shock? Is there a role for IV sodium bicarbonate in AKI? When should ACEi/ARBs be held in AKI patients? When, if ever, should NSAIDs be given in AKI patients, and if so, how should the dose be modified? and many more....

It goes without saying that 2020 presented many challenges for the worldwide EM community. We all know what those challenges were, so I’m not going to list them here. As we enter 2021 I thought it important to reflect on what we did well in 2020, what made us proud to be EM docs, so that we keep this perspective and keep on growing as a community going forward. So I asked a few colleagues, educators and leaders in EM “what made you glad to be an EM doc in 2020?” And this is what they said….

In this first part of our 2 part podcast series on AKI we answer questions such as: Is there any value in the BUN:Cr ratio in distinguishing prerenal from intrarenal disease? Why is nephritic syndrome one of the most important intrarenal causes to pick up in the ED? Is there any value in urine electrolytes for the ED workup of AKI? Is there a role for bicarb in patients with severe AKI? How can we choose wisely when it comes to imaging for patients with AKI? How can we utilize POCUS best in working up the patient with AKI? What are the indications for ordering a CK to look for rhabdomyolysis? At what CK level do patients typically develop AKI? How can the McMahon score help us manage rhabdomyolysis? What is the value of urine myoglobin in the workup of rhabdomyolysis? What are indications for dialysis in patients with rhabdomyolysis? What are safe discharge criteria for patients with rhabdomyolysis? and many more...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast: Anand Swaminathan on lateral canthotomy, Emily Austin on pediatric cannabis poisoning, Reuben Strayer on an approach to hyperthermia, Brit Long on diagnosis and management of malignant otitis externa, Jesse McLaren on ECG diagnosis of occlusion MI in patients with BBB and Peter Brindley on prone CPR...

In this part 2 of our 2 part series on Liver Emergencies we clear up the confusing balance between thrombosis and bleeding in liver patients, the elusive diagnosis of portal vein thrombosis, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis diagnosis and treatment and some tips and tricks on paracentesis with Walter Himmel and Brian Steinhart....

In this 1st part of our 2 part series on Liver Emergencies Walter Himmel, Brian Steinhart and Anton discuss: What are the most important causes of acute liver failure that we need to identify in the ED so we can initiate timely treatment? What are some of the common medications we use in the ED that we should avoid in the liver patient? How should we approach the interpretation of liver enzymes and liver function tests? What are the key management steps in treating acute liver and hepatorenal syndrome? Why do liver failure patients become hypoglycemic and how should hypoglycemia in these patients be treated in the ED? How do we diagnose hepatorenal syndrome in the ED? How can the MELD score help us manage liver patients? What are the indications for IV albumin? What is the role of an ammonia level in the diagnosis of hepatic encephalopathy? Is polyethylene glycol a better alternative to lactulose for treating hepatic encephalopathy? and much more...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast we have Salim Rezaie on clinical probability adjusted D-dimer for pulmonary embolism, Bourke Tillmann on ARDS for the ED Part 2, Brit Long & Michael Gottlieb on pharyngitis mimics, Justin Hensley on the many faces of barotrauma, Hans Rosenberg & Peter Johns on assessment of continuous vertigo and Justin Morgenstern & Jeannette Wolfe on gender-based differences in CPR...

In this podcast, Part 2 of our diabetic emergencies series with Melanie Baimel, Bourke Tillmann and Leeor Sommer, we dive into the recognition and ED management of Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar State (HHS). We answer questions such as: how does one differentiate DKA from HHS clinically? How do patients with HHS become hyperglycemic, dry and altered? Why is finding and treating the cause or trigger of HHS so important in the ED? How does fluid management differ in HHS from DKA? and many more...

In this first part of our 2-part podcast on DKA and HHS, Drs Melanie Baimel, Bourke Tillman and Leeor Sommer discuss the importance of identifying the underlying cause or trigger in DKA patients, the pitfall of ruling out DKA in patients with normal pH or normal serum glucose, how to close the gap effectively, why stopping the insulin infusion is almost never indicated, how to avoid cardiac collapse when DKA patients require endotracheal intubation, the best alternatives to plastic in the trachea, why using a protocol improves patient outcomes, how to avoid the common complications of hypoglycemia and hypokalemia, and much more...

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast, Anand Swaminathan on postpartum hemorrhage, Justin Morgenstern on phenobarbital in pediatric status epilepticus, Michelle Klaiman on managed alcohol programs, Andrew Petrosoniak on traumatic cardiac arrest, Brit Long on cholangitis pearls and pitfalls and Bourke Tillman on ED approach to ARDS...

Dr. Barbara Tatham, EM colleague and educator, died of metastatic sarcoma at the age of 32 in October 2019. During her last year of life, in between surgeries, ICU stays and rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, she gave lectures on compassionate care inspired by her journey as a patient. In August 2019 we met at my summer cottage to record this podcast. We explored the evidence that compassionate care improves patient outcomes and staves off physician burnout. We discussed how compassion can be learned and applied easily and efficiently in your practice. We talked about the do’s and don’ts of compassionate care and ended with a call to action. It is my hope that, through this podcast, her voice and vision will reverberate and she will continue to champion compassionate care into the future…

Salim Rezaie on HALT-IT trial for TXA in unstable GI bleed, Sarah Reid on pediatric DKA update in fluid management and cerebral edema, Hans Rosenberg on POCUS in shoulder dislocations via CJEM, Arun Sayal on Lisfranc injury pearls and pitfalls, Justin Morgenstern on RECOVERY Trial for Dexamethasone in COVID pneumonia, Walter Himmel on getting what you need from consultants...

In this Part 2 of Urologic Emergencies EM Cases main episode podcasts Dr. Natalie Wolpert and Dr. Yonah Krakowsky answer questions about testicular torsion including: when, after the onset of symptoms, is the testicle salvageable? How sensitive is the presence of cremasteric reflex in ruling out testicular torsion? Are there any set of clinical symptoms and signs or decision tools (such as the TWIST Score) that can rule in or rule out testicular torsion with confidence? How accurate is doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of testicular torsion? To what degree does Prehn's sign help distinguish epididymitis from testicular torsion? How can you distinguish testicular torsion from torsion of testicular appendage? When is manual de-torsion indicated and how effective is it? and many more...

This month's main episode podcast on Urologic Emergencies - Priapism and Urinary Retention asks: for priapism how much time to do we have to fix it before there’s irreversible tissue damage? How is priapism managed differently depending on the cause? What is the value of a corporal blood gas for managing priapism? What are the indications for cavernosal phenylephrine injections? What are the common medications that cause urinary retention that we often miss leading to needless recurrent urinary retention? Why is a suprapubic catheter in many respects safer than a urethral catheter for managing urinary retention? Which patients are at high risk for complications of post-obstructive diuresis? and many more...

Justin Morgenstern on imaging choices in renal colic, Hanni Stoklosa on recognition and management of human trafficking, Rohit Mohindra on management of atrial fibrillation during COVID-19, Anand Swaminathan on transvenous pacemaker placement, Rob Simard on COVID-19 lung POCUS, Brit Long on COVID-19 dermatology and Sarah Foohey & Paul Koblic on virtual simulation...

In this EM Cases Best Case Ever podcast, Dr. Kari Sampsel, Emergency Physician at Ottawa Hospital and Assistant Professor at University of Ottawa, Medical Director of Sexual Assault and Partner Abuse Care Program guides us through an example of a perimortem C-section - a resuscitative hysterotomy at Janus General. She and Rajiv discuss preparation, indications, the procedure, team dynamics and debriefing for this HALO procedure...

Anand Swaminathan on airway management in angioedema, Jeff Perry on Ottawa subarachnoid hemorrhage rule and 6hr CT rule, Hania Bielawska on ED breastfeeding myths and misconceptions, Brit Long on neurologic associations with COVID-19, Justin Hensley on management of spider bites and Hans Rosenberg & Heather Murray on management of skin abscesses...

Dr. Hilary Whyte, Dr. Jabeen Fayyaz, Dr. Emily MacNeill discuss a neonatal resuscitation algorithm, airway management, fluid resuscitation, central access tips, glucose and temperature control and transport tips...

Justin Morgenstern on watchful waiting for large spontaneous pneumothoraces, Michelle Klaiman on mirco-dosing buprenorphine for opiate use disorder, Arun Sayal on the practical application of CRITOE in pediatric elbow fractures, Jeff Perry on The Canadian TIA Score, Sarah Reid on updated pediatric surviving sepsis guidelines, Salim Rezaie (Best of REBELEM) on safety of vasopressor administration through peripheral IVs...

Anand Swaminathan on recognition and ED management of adrenal crisis, Maria Ivankovic on indications for antibiotics in strep throat from EM Cases Course 2020, Jesse McLaren on recognition of posterior MI from ECG Cases, Justin Yan & Hans Rosenberg on just the facts of approach to DKA, Brit Long on ovarian torsion imaging myths, Walter Himmel on how to use the HINTS exam properly, and Ian Stiell on how to use Canadian CT head rules properly...

Anand Swaminathan on oxygenation strategies for COVID-19 learned from the New York experience, Andrew Petrosoniak on trauma care modifications in the COVID-19 era, Michelle Klaiman on addiction medicine considerations, Brit Long & Michael Gottlieb on cardiac complications of COVID-19 and Leeor Sommer on physician compassion and preserving patients' humanity...

Drs. Sara Gray, Emily Austin, Chris Keefer, Justin Morgenstern, Sarah Reid, Chris Hicks, Peter Brindley and Andrew Cameron share their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic and offer some practical tips on human factors, pandemic airway checklist, deliberate practice airway safety course, pediatric COVID management considerations, and Sara Gray's 4 step COVID wellness program...

Ashleigh Tuite infectious diseases mathematical modeler discusses factors predicting spread of SARS CoV-2, prediction models and flattening the curve of COVID-19. Is the COVID-19 virus likely to mutate? And if it does what are the most likely consequences? What do prediction models show in terms of how long this pandemic will last? Is there likely to be a 2nd peak?...

There are many complicated guides on airway management and protected intubation since the COVID-19 pandemic broke. This can be confusing in our rush to develop protocols and guides in our own EDs. In this podcast, part of the COVID-19 EM Cases 5-part series, we aim to simplify protected intubation so that you can adapt it to your ED rapidly. Canada's leading airway expert, George Kovacs guides us through the general principles and important details of the protected RSI...

The single most important thing we can do as ED providers in this COVID pandemic is to protect ourselves, our colleagues, our patients, our families and our friends against transmission of the virus; and there is no higher risk of transmission that during the resuscitation of a sick COVID patient. In this podcast we speak with a world expert on PPE, Dr. Laurie Mazurik about protecting against transmission of the virus before, during and after your shift. Not only do we discuss the details of all PPE from head protection to footwear, but we give tips on the equally important non-PPE protection as well. We touch on PPE conservation strategies as we struggle with supplies, give you the bottom line on donning/doffing sequencing, and discuss the core principles of the protected code blue...

In this special edition EM Quick Hits podcast, Drs. Eddy Lang, Salim Rezaie, Anand Swaminathan, Jonathan Sherbino and Reuben Strayer share their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic and offer some practical tips...

No matter where you practice emergency medicine there will be, or has been, capacity problems in the COVID-19 crisis. Even if we "flatten the COVID-19 curve" there will be a load on the systems that exceeds our capacity. Dr. Daniel Kollek, emergency physician, chair of the CAEP Disaster Medicine committee and Director of the Centre for Excellence in Emergency Preparedness, answers questions...

In this early release first podcast in a series of main episodes on COVID-19, Infectious Diseases specialist at Mount Sinai Health Systems and University Health Network and Professor at the University of Toronto Andrew Morris joins Anton on the latest on emergency screening, diagnosis and management of COVID-19, with some tips on managing yourself and your team by Howard Ovens...

Tension hydrothorax is a massive pleural effusion presenting with hemodynamic abnormalities secondary to mediastinal compression. Dr. Allan Shefrin tells his Best Case Ever of a child who presents in shock and discusses the causes of tension hydrothorax, indications for tube thoracostomy for hydrothorax and integration of POCUS into pediatric resuscitation.

Dr. Arun Sayal and Dr. Dale Dantzer answer questions such as: What should be included in the list of key occult shoulder injuries that we should have in our back pockets when we are faced with a patient who has injured their shoulder and the x-ray appears normal? Which proximal humerus fractures are likely to require surgical management? Which shoulder injuries require a simple sling vs Velpeau sling vs collar and cuff vs sugar tong splint? When is an ultrasound of the shoulder indicated and how should they be interpreted? What is the best x-ray view to diagnose a sternoclavicular dislocation? What are the surgical indications for clavicle fractures? and many more...