Are you a medical student ready to excel in your first ever emergency medicine shift and impress your mentors in the ED? We introduce to you a set of flashcards with common differential diagnoses so you can confidently tackle common ED presentations! This post was reviewed by Daniel Ting and copy-edited by @aafia-maqsood
The Many Paths to Emergency Medicine in Canada
What is an emergency medicine doctor? The answer likely differs between a major academic centre and a rural hospital. Perhaps the simplest definition is any physician who staffs an emergency department (ED). When it comes to training, emergency medicine (EM) certainly holds the title of most heterogeneous specialty in Canada. While some physicians complete a five-year residency in EM and are Royal College certified, others complete a one-year EM fellowship after two years …
ABCDE Approach
The ABCDE approach applies to the initial assessment of critically ill patients. For each step, appropriate treatment should be started regardless if there is a definitive diagnosis. Airway1–3 Fatal in minutes. Think of this separately from breathing! Consider what would you do if the airway became threatened, e.g. Have you assessed for predictors of difficult airway management? Assessment Management ● Determine if patient can speak.● Inspect for secretions or foreign bodies.● Check for …
CAEP Daily 2022: Plenary Speakers Day 3
In this series, we are collaborating with CAEP to break down everything you need to know about the CAEP Conference in Quebec City! We have teamed up with CAEP to bring you infographics summarizing the plenary talks for each day of the conference! The plenaries for day 3 consist of the Top 4 research abstracts submitted to CAEP which covers a variety of important topics in EM: 1. “Impact of a knowledge to …
PoCUS Previews 03: Intro to the FAST Scan
Welcome back to PoCUS Previews, your illustrated guide to the world of Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS)! In the hands of a skilled sonographer, PoCUS can serve as a valuable tool while assessing a patient in trauma. PoCUS can quickly and fairly accurately detect blood loss and signal the presence of internal organ damage. Thus, the Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) scan is one of the most celebrated uses of PoCUS …
FRCPC or CCFP-EM: What is best for you?
FRCPC or CCFP-EM? This is a question that EM physicians spend a lot of time discussing with their mentees. Why are there two EM designations in Canada? What do the letters even mean? What’s the difference? Which route is right for you? These are great questions. Unfortunately, as with many important decisions, you’ll probably get as many answers to them as people you ask. Everyone in the Canadian EM world seems to have …