EM Quick Hits 40 – GI Balloon Tamponade, SVT and Troponin, Falls in Older Patients, Vertical Vertigo, VAFEI Airway

In this month's EM Quick Hits podcast: Anand Swaminathan on GI balloon tamponade preparation and indications, Jesse McLaren on why troponin is rarely useful in SVT, Christina Shenvi on why we should not use the term "mechanical fall" in older patients, Nour Khatib & Jonathan Wallace on rural vertical vertigo case and Reuben Strayer on VAFEI - Video-Assisted Flexible Endoscopic Intubation for the anatomically challenging airway...

Ep 171 Posterior Stroke, EP Lead, HEAR Score, Ketamine for Suicidal Ideation, Peer Support Workers – Highlights from Calgary EM Hodsman Lecture Day

In this special edition main EM Cases podcast episode we feature the highlights from live podcasts recorded at Calgary EM during their annual Hodsman Lecture Day, covering a variety of current EM topics: The challenges of posterior circulation stroke (PCIS); Emergency Physician Lead to improve ED overcrowding, access block and job satisfaction; When not to order a troponin - The HEAR Score; Ketamine to relieve suicidal ideation and reduce acute risk; Peer Support Workers for ED patients with mental health issues and substance use disorder, plus a description of the Pathway to Peers program...

EM Quick Hits 27 Colchicine for COVID, Bicarb in Cardiac Arrest, Troponin in CKD, GHB Withdrawal, Iloprost for Frostbite, Patient Complaints

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....

WTBS 16 Listening for the QI Signal in the Noise of ED Return Visits: Focus on Missed MI

Jesse McLaren outlines 10 Quality Improvement (QI) opportunities for reducing missed AMIs and the lessons learned from Ontario’s Emergency Department Return Visit Quality Program in this Waiting to Be Seen blog...

Episode 92 – Aortic Dissection Live from The EM Cases Course

While missing aortic dissection was considered "the standard" in the late 20th century, our understanding of the clinical diagnoses has improved considerably since the landmark International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD) study in 2000. Nonetheless, aortic dissection remains difficult to diagnosis with 1 in 6 being missed at the initial ED visit. With the help of Dr. David Carr we’ll discuss how to pick up atypical presentations of aortic dissection without over-imaging as well as manage them like pros by reviewing: 1. The 5 Pain Pearls, 2. The concepts of CP +1 and 1+ CP, 3. Physical exam pearls, 4. CXR pearls and blood test pitfalls, and 5. The importance of the correct order and aggressive use of IV medications. So with these objectives in mind…

Journal Jam 5 One Hour Troponin to Rule Out and In MI

Traditionally we've run at least 2 troponins 6 or 8 hours apart to help rule out MI and recently in algorithms like the HEART score we've combined clinical data with a 2 or 3 hour delta troponin to help rule out MI. The paper we'll be discussing here is a multicentre/multinantional study from the Canadian Medical Association Journal from this year out of Switzerland entitled "Prospective validation of a 1 hour algorithm to rule out and rule in acute myocardial infarction using a high sensitivity cardian troponin T assay" with lead author Tobias Reichlin. It not only looks at whether or not we can rule out MI using a delta troponin at only 1 hour but whether or not we can expedite the ruling in of MI using this protocol.

Best Case Ever 13: Aortic Dissection

Dr. David Carr, the past author of Tintinalli's chapter on occlusive arterial disease, tells us his Best Case Ever related to Aortic Dissection. In the related Episode 28: Aortic Dissection, Acute Limb Ischemia & Compartment Syndrome, we discuss the breadth of presentations and key diagnostic clues of Aortic Dissection. We review the value of ECG, CXR, biomarkers and the use of Transesophageal Echo and CTA in this sometime elusive diagnosis. We debate lots of clinical pearls and pitfalls when it comes to acute limb ischemia, and end with a discussion on the trials and tribulations of Compartment Syndrome. [wpfilebase tag=file id=398 tpl=emc-play /] [wpfilebase tag=file id=399 tpl=emc-mp3 /]

Episode 25: Pediatric Syncope and Adult Syncope

In this episode on Pediatric Syncope & Adult Syncope, Dr. Eric Letovksy & Dr. Anna Jarvis run through the key clinical pearls of the history, the physical, interpretation of the ECG and the value of clinical decision rules such as the ROSE rule and the San Francisco Syncope Rule in working up these patients. We discuss how to differentiate syncope from seizure, cardiac causes of syncope such as Arrhthmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopthy & Prolonged QT Syndrome, and the indications for Holter monitoring, Echocardiograms and stress testing in patients with Syncope. Dr. Letvosky & Dr. Jarvis answer such questions as: How can we diagnose Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in the ED? What is the value of Troponin and BNP in the work-up of syncope? In what ways are patients with Down Syndrome at high risk for serious causes of syncope? In what ways are patients with alcohol dependence at risk for serious causes of syncope? Why is 'Benign' early repolarization not a benign condition in patients with syncope? Which children with syncope should be admitted? and many more....

Episode 15 Part 2: Acute Coronary Syndromes Management

In Part 2 of this Episode on Acute Coronary Syndromes Risk Stratification & Management, the evidence for various medications for ACS, from supplemental oxygen to thrombolytics are debated, and decision making around reperfusion therapy for STEMI as well as NSTEMI are discussed. Finally, there is a discussion on risk stratification of low risk chest pain patients and all it's attendant challenges as well as disposition and follow-up decisions. Dr. Eric Letovsky, the Head of the CCFP(EM) Program at the University of Toronto, Dr. Mark Mensour & Dr. Neil Fam, an interventional cardiologist answer questions like: What is the danger of high flow oxygen in the setting of ACS? When, if ever, should we be using IV B-blockers in AMI patients? How can you predict, in the ED, who might go on to have an urgent CABG, in which case Clopidogrel is contra-indicated? Which anticoagulant is best for unstable angina, NSTEMI and STEMI - unfractionated heparin (UFH), low molecular weight heparin (LMWH), or fonduparinux? Is there currenly any role for Glycoprotein 2b3a Inhibitors in ACS in the ED? When is thrombolysis better than PCI for STEMI? When should we consider facilitated angioplasty and rescue angioplasty? Which low risk chest pain patients require an early stress test? CT coronary angiography? Stress Echo? Admission to a Coronary Decision Unit (CDU)? and many more.......

Episode 15 Part 1: Acute Coronary Syndromes Risk Stratification

In Part 1 of this Episode on Acute Coronary Syndromes Risk Stratification Dr. Eric Letovksy, Dr. Mark Mensour and Dr. Neil Fam discuss common pearls and pitfalls in assessing the patient who presents to the ED with chest pain. They review atypical presentations to look out for, what the literature says about the value of traditional and non-traditional cardiac risk factors, the diagnostic utility of recent cardiac testing, and which patients in the ED should have a cardiac work-up. Finally, in the ED work up of Acute Coronary Syndromes Risk Stratification, they highlight some valuable key points in ECG interpretation and how best to use and interpret cardiac biomarkers like troponin. Drs. Letovksy, Mensour & Fam address questions like: How useful are the traditional cardiac risk factors in predicting ACS in the ED? How does a negative recent treadmill stress test, nuclear stress test or angiogram effect the pre-test probability of ACS in the ED? What does recent evidence tell us about the assumption that patients presenting with chest pain and a presumed new LBBB will rule in for MI and require re-perfusion therapy? How can we diagnose MI in the patient with a ventricular pacemaker? What is the difference between Troponin I and Troponin T from a practical clinical perspective? Is one Troponin ever good enough to rule out MI in the patient with a normal ECG? Should we be using a 2hr delta troponin protocol? How will the new ultra-sensitive Troponins change our practice? and many more.....

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