Introduction: Biphasic anaphylactic reactions are a concern in emergency medicine. Risk factors associated with this type of reaction remain ill-defined. The aim of this study was to investigate elements associated with biphasic anaphylactic reactions and to determine the impact of anaphylaxis treatments on biphasic reactions. Methods: From the multicenter Cross-Canada Anaphylaxis Registry prospective cohort, we selected adults (≥18 years) with a visit to the emergency department (ED) of Sacré-Cœur Hospital, an urban tertiary-care hospital. Then, a structured chart review was done to collect additional information on types and timing of treatments for the initial anaphylactic reaction, presence and treatment of biphasic reactions during the initial ED visit or upon patients’ return. Biphasic reactions were defined by the recurrence of any anaphylaxis symptoms within 72 hours of a resolved anaphylaxis episode. Potential factors associated with biphasic reactions were studied using Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: Patients with anaphylaxis were enrolled between April 2014 and February 2018. From the cohort, 401 adult patients were identified. We found 37 patients who developed a biphasic reaction. Amongst them, 33 received treatments and 9 required more than one dose of intramuscular epinephrine. None of the biphasic reaction patients required intravenous epinephrine, other vasopressors, ICU admission, or endotracheal intubation. Biphasic reactions appeared in a median time of 13.3h after the initial reaction ranging from 1.1h to 69.6h (IQR 30.2). There was no difference in age or gender of patients who developed a biphasic reaction compared those who did not. Pertinent past medical history, daily medications, mean of arrival to the ED, allergen type, ingestion route, or initial symptoms during the anaphylaxis episode were not significantly different in the two groups. Treatment with corticosteroids was similar in the two groups (9.0% vs. 8.1% p = 0.82). Treatment, dose and route of administration of epinephrine was not different in the two groups but longer delays before treatment with the first dose of epinephrine was more frequent in biphasic reaction patients (median delay of 64 minutes, p = 0.015). Conclusion: No patient characteristic, allergen, route of ingestion, symptom, nor treatment with corticosteroids has shown to be significantly different in patients with and without biphasic reactions. Delayed treatment with epinephrine is significantly associated with biphasic reactions.

Introduction: In recent years, there has been growing interest in the field of physician wellness and burnout. Past research has shown that the prevalence of burnout is non-uniform between specialties and is most prevalent amongst emergency medicine physicians. Additionally, burnout can be observed amongst individuals early in their medical careers, including medical students and residents. To date, there is no national perspective of burnout amongst Canadian Royal College of Emergency Medicine (EM) residents. Our study looks to provide a national survey of burnout in this population as well as characterize mentorship programs at training sites. Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was e-mailed to Canadian EM residents via local program directors. Characteristics of mentor-mentee relationships and quality of residents’ mentorship experiences were assessed on a 6-point Likert scale. The Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) for medical personnel was used to assess burnout on three dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment). Burnout was dichotomized as present or absent if the MBI criteria are met (emotional exhaustion score > 26 or depersonalization score > 9 or personal accomplishment <34). Results: To date, 52 responses have been collected. Respondents are primarily male (63%) and in their PGY year 1-3 (71%). Responses were collected from 6/14 (43%) of eligible programs. 84% of residents currently had an emergency medicine mentor. Of these, 8% were dissatisfied with their residency's mentorship program and 55% were satisfied/very satisfied. 72% of residents met the threshold for burnout in at least one dimension of the MBI (3 dimensions = 17%; 2 dimensions = 17%; 1 dimension = 38%) and 13% cited considering suicide during their training. Conclusion: Results thus far suggest significant burnout amongst Royal College of Emergency Medicine residents. Alarmingly, 13% of responders cited having contemplated suicide during their training. These results point to an important opportunity to better support EM residents during their training to improve wellness and reduce burnout. Our findings suggest a high prevalence of residents with established mentors and future analyses will examine the correlation between mentorship characteristics and resident burnout levels.

Innovation Concept: Emergency medicine physicians must maintain a broad knowledge base and procedural skillset while fulfilling their academic roles as teachers, researchers and administrators. Most academic departments do not have a regular, affordable, formal continuing professional development (CPD) and faculty development (FD) curriculum for their staff. We set out to design and implement a novel continuous practice enhancement program to address this issue. Methods: Strategic planning by the Ottawa academic Department of EM identified CPD and FD as priorities. A program was created to support high quality, monthly CPD/FD courses provided by physicians. We had 5 goals: (1) enhance clinical and academic skills, (2) disseminate group best practices, (3) sustain skills in high impact/low frequency scenarios, (4) support physician academic careers, and (5) acquire new procedural skills. A CPD/FD Committee composed of local meded experts and experienced clinical teachers was tasked with overseeing the creation and evaluation of these sessions. Curriculum, Tool or Material: The longitudinal curriculum was informed by perceived needs (group survey), ascribed needs (M&M rounds, physician metrics and departmental leadership priorities) and participant feedback. The committee identified local experts to present on their areas of expertise in order to promote group best practice. Topics to-date have included clinical skills updates, teaching and coaching strategies and academic career planning. A comprehensive monthly simulation-based curriculum was rolled out simultaneously to give participants the opportunity to develop crisis resource management and critical care skills. Except for sessions requiring advanced equipment or cadavers, sessions are financed by academic funds and free for participants. Conclusion: Faculty academic learning and engagement is an important goal and participation in this curriculum is reviewed at each physician's annual reappointment. To-date, 18 physicians (21% of our group) have presented topics and 92% of physicians have participated in at least one session with 63% having attended three or more. Evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive, and a recent survey identified the CPD/FD program as a significant contributor to our physicians’ wellness. We introduced an innovative, structured CPD/FD program in response to perceived and ascribed needs of our physicians and departmental leadership. Our successful CPD/FD curriculum represents a model for other departments who are considering similar initiatives.

Introduction: Competence in procedural skills is vital within the emergency department. Challenging procedures such as cricothyroidotomy are difficult to master as they are rare and hard to train for. Additionally, common procedures such as chest tube insertions require practice to become sufficiently competent. Opportunities to hone these skills are essential in residency training. This project aimed to create instructional video modules for specific emergency medicine (EM) procedures and gauge their utility as adjunctive resources for procedural learning in the EM residency curriculum. Methods: Tutorial videos for clamshell thoracotomy, cricothyroidotomy, and chest tube insertion were filmed within a cadaver lab with step-by-step instructions. The footage was edited and overlaid with a pre-prepared audio narration using Camtasia®/Apple® Video Editing software. These videos were embedded within modules that included foundational knowledge relevant to the procedures, including anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology. The modules were peer-edited by licensed EM staff physicians and distributed to EM residents and staff physicians for analysis. Qualitative and quantitative analysis relied upon participants’ answers to questions and a Modified Task Value Scale, respectively. Results: Ten participants were included in the analysis, including EM residents (n = 6) and staff emergency physicians (n = 4). Qualitative feedback suggested that positive aspects of the modules included visuals, content, narration, and review of anatomy. Negative aspects included the lack of indications for procedures, technical details, real patient examples, and a speed up function. Quantitative feedback resulted in scores of 4 and above out of 5 on the Motivated Task Value Scale across all aspects for all the modules. Furthermore, analysis revealed an average score of 3.9 for inclination to access more modules such as these, and a score of 4.4 for overall perception of the modules. Conclusion: Participants found the video modules valuable to their learning, both qualitatively and quantitatively. This study was limited by a small sample size of modules and a low number of participants. Furthermore, a more detailed analysis with further measures, including self-efficacy and self-confidence, would yield more comprehensive conclusions. However, video-based modules provide an effective and easily accessible adjunctive tool to acquire skill and confidence with EM procedures, for medical learners and staff physicians.

Introduction: We examined our local sepsis patient population, and specifically our most vulnerable patients - those presenting to the emergency department (ED) in septic shock - for variables predictive of survival to hospital discharge. We applied the familiar ED paradigm of, “Door to,” to calculate the impact of time to antibiotics against patient survival to hospital discharge. Methods: Retrospective chart review of patients aged > = 18 years, presenting to tertiary care ED between 01 Nov 2014 and 31 Oct 2015. Patients determined to have sepsis if A) > = 2 SIRS criteria and ED suspicion of infection (ED acquisition of blood/urine cultures or antibiotic administration) and/or B) received ED or Hospital discharge diagnosis of sepsis (ICD-10 diagnostic codes A4xx and R65). Patients sub-classified with septic shock if A) triage SBP < = 90mmHg, B) triage MAP < = 65mmHg or C) serum lactate > = 4mmol/L. “Door Time” was defined as the earliest time recorded for the patient encounter, either the time the patient registered in the Emergency Department, or the triage time. A generalized linear model was performed with a binomial distribution using survival to discharge as the response variable. Age, sex, ED arrival method, time to antibiotics, ED serum lactate and ED serum glucose level were the predictor variables. Results: 13506 patient encounters met inclusion criteria (10980 unique patients). Linear regression of time to antibiotics against survival to hospital discharge failed to achieve statistical significance. Linear regression of the secondary outcome variables achieved statistical significance for age and serum lactate level. Per the model, as age increased by 1 year, the odds of dying prior to hospital discharge increased by 3.8% and as serum lactate increased by 1 mmol/L, odds of dying prior to hospital discharge increased by 11.1%. Conclusion: We found no association between time to antibiotic treatment and mortality. Causal relationships require randomized controlled trials, and this analysis contributes to clinical equipoise.

Introduction: Telephone Triage Services (TTS) manage phone calls from the public regarding general medical problems and provide telephone advice. This telephone based care can overlap with care provided by Poison Centres. Our objective was to examine the impact of a provincial 811 TTS on the IWK Regional Poison Centre (RPC). Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study using interrupted time series methodology. We compared monthly IWK RPC call volume in the pre-811 era (January 2007-July 2009) and the post-811 era (September 2009-December 2017). We summarized the characteristics of callers who accessed the IWK RPC in terms of client age, sex, intentionality, time of day, call disposition and outcome. Caller characteristics were compared between the pre- and post-811 eras using chi-square test for categorical variables. We used segmented regression analysis to evaluate changes in slope of call volume in the pre- and post 811 eras. The Durbin-Watson statistic was performed to test for serial correlation and the Dickey-Fuller test to investigate seasonality. Results: The dataset included 82683 calls to the IWK RPC – 27028 pre-811 and 55655 post-811. Overall, 55% of calls were for female clients and the largest age group was children aged 0-5 years (37%). Most calls originated from home (47%), followed by a health care facility (23%). Most calls were managed at home (65%). Less than 3% of calls resulted in major effect or death. The Durbin Watson statistic was not statistically significant (p = 0.94). The Dickey-Fuller test indicated series stationarity (p = 0.001). There was no statistically significant change in call volume to the IWK RPC due to the introduction of 811 (p = 0.39). There was no significant variation by time of day, day of week or month, with most calls occurring in the evening. There were significantly more calls regarding intentional ingestions in the post-811 era (23% vs. 19% pre-811, p < .001). Outcomes in the pre and post 811 eras were as follows: minor/no effect/non-toxic/minimal 80% vs. 78%; moderate 7% vs. 10%; and, major/death 1.7% vs. 2.0%. Conclusion: The introduction of a TTS did not change call volumes at our RPC. The increase in the percentage of calls about intentional ingestions may reflect an increase in call acuity as the 811-TTS likely manages calls about minor/non-toxic ingestions without consulting with the RPC. Our future research will examine the nature of poison related calls to the 811-TTS.

Introduction: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a leading cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to be efficacious and safe in reducing mortality and morbidity if given within 3 hours of bleeding onset. Delayed PPH of more than 24 hours after delivery is a rare but high-risk ED presentation that requires timely management with TXA. This study aims to evaluate the patterns of TXA administration to treat delayed PPH in the ED using a retrospective review of medical reviews from 4 centres across a major urban Canadian city. Methods: We conducted a retrospective medical record review of patients presenting with PPH to 4 large urban EDs from 2013 to 2017; from 1.5 million ED visits, using a search for ICD-10 diagnostic codes of interest. Of these, the study cohort included only patients that were admitted to the hospital. Univariate analyses using Chi-squared tests and t-tests for non-continuous and continuous variables, respectively, were used to determine patient demographics and clinical characteristics significantly associated with TXA administration. Results: A total of 238 patients were included in the study cohort. Of these patients, 72.7% presented to the ED with mild hypovolemic shock, defined by a shock index score greater than 0.6. A total of 12.6% (95% CI 0.09-0.17) of patients were given TXA for PPH management in the ED. 67% (95% CI 0.47-0.82) of patients received the TXA within 3 hours of triage, whereas 33% (95% CI 0.18-0.53) received it after 3 hours, with the total mean time at 3.43 hours. 4.2% of patients required a blood transfusion and 2.9% required surgery. Univariate analyses indicated that greater maternal age (p = 0.028), lower hemoglobin levels (p = 0.014), higher shock index scores (p = 0.001), greater heart rate (p = < 0.001)), and use of oxytocin (p = <0.001) or blood products (p = < 0.001) in the ED were all significantly associated with TXA administration. Conclusion: The results from this study demonstrate that only 13% of delayed PPH patients presenting to the ED received TXA, and among those treated, 66% received TXA within 3 hours of presentation. The use of TXA was correlated with variables associated with an increased risk of morbidity. Given the rarity of delayed PPH presentation to the ED, the development of a treatment algorithm is recommended to ensure higher levels of timely TXA administration.

Introduction: Bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy is a common presentation to the Emergency Department (ED) with half going on to miscarry. Currently there is no local consensus on key quality markers of care for such cases. Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) is increasingly utilized in the ED to detect life threating pathology such as an ectopic pregnancy or fetal viability. PoCUS leads to improved patient satisfaction, quicker diagnosis and treatment. The purpose for this study was to examine the rates of formal ultrasound and PoCUS when compared to reported and recommended rates, and also to understand the use of other diagnostic tests. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of pregnant females presenting to the ED with first trimester bleeding over one year (June 2016 – June2017) was completed. A sample size of 108 patients was required to detect a moderate departure from baseline reported rates (67.8 – 77.6%). The primary outcome was the PoCUS rate in the ED. The main secondary outcome was the formal ultrasound rate. The literature recommends PoCUS in all early pregnancy bleeding in the ED, with a target of 100% of patients receiving PoCUS. Additional data recorded included the live birth rate, pelvic and speculum examination rate and lab tests. There is no clearly defined ideal practice for the additional data so these rates will be recorded without comparison. Results: Records of 168 patients were screened for inclusion. 65 cases were excluded because they were not pregnant or had confirmed miscarriage or other, leaving a total of 103 patients included in the analysis. The PoCUS rate was 51.5% (95% CI 42%-61%), lower than previously reported PoCUS rates of 73% (67.8 – 77.6%). The formal ultrasound rate was 67% (57%-75%). Both approaches were significantly lower than the recommended rate of 100% (95.7 – 100%). Rates for other key markers of care will also be presented. Conclusion: Fewer PoCUS exams were performed at our centre compared with reported and recommended rates for ultrasound. Further results will explore our current practice in the management of first trimester pregnancy complications. We plan to use this information to suggest improvements in the management of this patient population.

Introduction: Alberta has one of the highest rates of domestic violence (DV) in the country. Emergency departments (EDs) and urgent care centres (UCCs) are significant points of opportunity to screen for DV and intervene. In Alberta, the Calgary Zone began a universal education and direct inquiry program for DV in EDs and UCCs for patients > = 14 years in 2003. The Calgary model is unique in that (a) it provides universal education in addition to screening and (b) screening is truly universal as it includes all age groups and genders. While considering expanding this model provincially, we engaged in the GRADE Adolopment process, to achieve multi-stakeholder consensus on a provincial approach to DV screening, as herewith described. Methods: Using GRADE, we synthesized and rated the quality of evidence on DV screening and presented it to an expert panel of stakeholders from the community, EDs, and Alberta Health Services. There was moderate certainty evidence that screening improved DV identification in antenatal clinics, maternal health services and EDs. There was no evidence of harm and low certainty evidence of improvement in patient-important outcomes. As per Adolopment, the expert panel reviewed the evidence in the context of: a) values and preferences b) benefits and harms, and c) acceptability, feasibility, and resource implications. Results: The panel came to a unanimous decision to conditionally recommend universal screening, i.e., screening all adults above 14 years of age in EDs and UCCs. By conditional, the panel noted that EDs and UCCs must have support resources in place for patients who screen positive to realize the full benefit of screening and avoid harm. The panel deemed universal screening to be a logistically easier recommendation, compared to training healthcare professionals to screen certain subpopulations or assess for specific symptoms associated with DV. The panel noted that despite absence of evidence that screening would impact patient-important outcomes, there was evidence that effective interventions following a positive screen could positively impact these outcomes. The panel stressed the importance of evidence creation in the context of absence of evidence. Conclusion: A GRADE Adolopment process achieved consensus on provincial expansion of an ED-based DV screening program. Moving forward, we plan to gather evidence on patient-important outcomes and understudied subpopulations (i.e. men and the elderly).

Introduction: Trauma and injury play a significant role in the population's burden of disease. Limited research exists evaluating the role of trauma bypass protocols. The objective of this study was to assess the impact and effectiveness of a newly introduced prehospital field trauma triage (FTT) standard, allowing paramedics to bypass a closer hospital and directly transport to a trauma centre (TC) provided transport times were within 30 minutes. Methods: We conducted a 12-month multi-centred health record review of paramedic call reports and emergency department health records following the implementation of the 4 step FTT standard (step 1: vital signs and level of consciousness, step 2: anatomical injury, step 3: mechanism and step 4: special considerations) in nine paramedic services across Eastern Ontario. We included adult trauma patients transported as an urgent transport to hospital, that met one of the 4 steps of the FTT standard and would allow for a bypass consideration. We developed and piloted a standardized data collection tool and obtained consensus on all data definitions. The primary outcome was the rate of appropriate triage to a TC, defined as any of the following: injury severity score ≥12, admitted to an intensive care unit, underwent non-orthopedic operation, or death. We report descriptive and univariate analysis where appropriate. Results: 570 adult patients were included with the following characteristics: mean age 48.8, male 68.9%, attended by Advanced Care Paramedic 71.8%, mechanisms of injury: MVC 20.2%, falls 29.6%, stab wounds 10.5%, median initial GCS 14, mean initial BP 132, prehospital fluid administered 26.8%, prehospital intubation 3.5%, transported to a TC 74.6%. Of those transported to a TC, 308 (72.5%) had bypassed a closer hospital prior to TC arrival. Of those that bypassed a closer hospital, 136 (44.2%) were determined to be “appropriate triage to TC”. Bypassed patients more often met the step 1 or step 2 of the standard (186, 66.9%) compared to the step 3 or step 4 (122, 39.6%). An appropriate triage to TC occurred in 104 (55.9%) patients who had met step 1 or 2 and 32 (26.2%) patients meeting step 3 or 4 of the FTT standard. Conclusion: The FTT standard can identify patients who should be bypassed and transported to a TC. However, this is at a cost of potentially burdening the system with poor sensitivity. More work is needed to develop a FTT standard that will assist paramedics in appropriately identifying patients who require a trauma centre.

Introduction: There have been 3714 medically assisted deaths recorded in Canada so far, with more than half of those deaths occurring outside the hospital – whether this has had any impact on emergency medicine has not yet been documented. This survey sought to find out Canadian emergency physicians’ (EPs) attitudes and experiences with medical assistance in dying (MAID). Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to CAEP members using a modified Dillman technique. The primary outcome was defined as the proportion of EPs in favour of MAID. Secondary outcomes included experience with suicide in the setting of terminal illness, their experience and opinion on referring patients for MAID from the ED, their experience with complications of MAID, and their response to hypothetical cases of complications from MAID. Nominal variables were analyzed and reported as percentages for each relevant answer. Answers submitted as free-form text were coded into themes by the author and reported based on these themes. Results: There were 303 completed surveys. EPs were largely in support of MAID (80.5%), and would be willing to refer patients for assessment from the ED (83.2%), however fewer (58.3%) knew how to do so. 37.1% of EPs had been asked for a referral for MAID assessment, but only 12.5% had made a referral. While only 1% of EPs reported having seen patients present with complications from MAID (failed IVs in the community), 5.0% had seen patients present with suicide or self-harm attempts after being told they were ineligible for MAID by another provider. Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the impact of MAID on emergency medicine in Canada, and it demonstrates that patients are both requesting referrals through the ED and, in rare cases, requiring medical attention for complications. This has implications for both increasing awareness of MAID referral processes for EPs, as well as for the prevention and treatment of complications of MAID in the community.

Introduction: Hydronephrosis is the de facto measure of obstructive uropathy (OU) and can be evaluated using renal Point of Care Ultrasound (rPOCUS). This educational initiative aimed to develop an effective one-day rPOCUS curriculum and evaluate if feedback/quality assurance (QA), leads to an improvement in image acquisition and interpretation of hydronephrosis as well as comfort with the technique. Methods: Physicians were randomized into a QA or control group (NQA) and all attended a one day training session which involved acquiring rPOCUS scans with one-on-one instruction. Participants then performed POCUS scans on all ED patients where formal renal US was deemed clinically indicated. The QA group received feedback on every scan from qualified ED physicians. Overall sensitivity and specificity were calculated compared to formal scans using a chi-square test. Written QA was reviewed for future improvements. Crossover occurred at 10 weeks to allow for equal learning opportunity but analyses focused on pre-crossover data. Participants completed surveys at study start and end focusing on initiative effectiveness and barriers/comfort with POCUS measured with a likert scale (Not at all (1)-Very (7)). Results: Fourteen ED physicians participated. The most common cited barrier to utilizing rPOCUS was lack of knowledge/training (78.6%). A total of 63 POCUS scans were reviewed. Common feedback included breath-holding (69.7%), use of color doppler (48.5%) and including a transverse sweep (36.4%). Sensitivity and specificity were better in the QA versus NQA group though the difference was not significant (Se- 75.0% vs 50.0%, 95%CI: −34.0-73.4%; Sp- 89.3% vs 73.9%, 95% CI: 8.2-39.2%). Ten physicians completed the post survey; all reported improved comfort with rPOCUS in assessment of hydronephrosis (median [IQR]: Δ+2 [1-3]). At study end, the comfort rating for using only POCUS and not formal scan remained low (median [IQR]: 3.50 [1.8-4.2]). The training initiative was rated highly with a median [IQR] rating of 5.50 [4.8-7.0]. Conclusion: Although the initiative was rated highly effective and resulted in improved comfort with renal POCUS, physicians did not feel comfortable solely using POCUS without formal scan to diagnose OU. Despite the initiative's success, further educational programs are needed before rPOCUS can be safely used as the primary investigation. In the future, a greater emphasis should be placed on the commonly noted areas of improvement.

Introduction: Procedural skills training varies significantly across Canadian medical schools, and there is currently no standardized assessment tool to evaluate its benefits. This project aims to develop a curriculum that teaches 2nd-year medical students to perform and evaluate procedural skills. The goals of this program include decreasing anxiety, increasing confidence, and achieving competence for students and also allowing staff to judge the appropriate level of supervision when delegating learners to perform basic procedures in the team setting. Our curriculum incorporates, near-peer teaching as well as near peer formative assessment. Methods: Each of the twelve 2nd year participants completed a State Trait Anxiety Inventory and self-reported confidence questionnaire related to procedural skills. Students participated in four sessions taught by expert physicians over a five month period. A new skill was taught at each monthly workshop and an opportunity to practice previously taught skills was provided. Skills were assessed in a skills integration simulation OSCE, and the anxiety and confidence questionnaire was repeated. Results: Students who completed this pilot program showed a significant decrease in mean anxiety state (2.48 vs 1.74, p-value <0.001), while the control group did not (p-value = 0.408). When assessing confidence, students who completed this program showed increased self-assessed knowledge and confidence in each of the program's assessed skills. An increased level of competency was achieved in each skill by each student as assessed by the expert physicians. Conclusion: There is evidence to suggest that implementation of this procedural skills training model within the Canadian medical school curriculum may improve student anxiety, confidence, and competency for success in clerkship and could be the foundation for developing milestones for EPAs.

Introduction: Sepsis in cancer patients is associated with higher mortality rates than non-cancer patients. As a whole, hematological or solid tumor cancers have not demonstrated a prognostic link to sepsis survival rates in intensive care units (ICU), however poor-prognosis solid tumours (less than 25% 5-year survival) have not been investigated. This study examined ICU mortality rate and its predictive factors of patients with sepsis and poor-prognosis solid tumors in comparison to patients with higher prognosis solid tumours. Methods: A 6-year retrospective chart review of 79 patients with sepsis and solid tumour cancers and/or metastatic cancers admitted to the ICU was conducted. Information regarding mortality rate within 14 days, length of ICU stay, incidence of intubation, and other primary reasons for ICU admission was collected. Data was analysed using logistic regression. Results: Logistic regression results showed intubation as the only significant factor contributing to patient mortality (p < .001), with the odds of mortality being 12.3 times higher for intubated than non-intubated patients. Five-year cancer survival rate was the second best predictor (p = .082), while age, sex, and metastasis were also not significant predictive factors for survival. Intubated patients with poor prognosis cancers had the lowest survival chance as further indicated by the 16 patients who met this criterion, of which 14 died within two weeks of ICU admission. Conclusion: The fact that poor prognosis cancers in sepsis were not significantly predictive of ICU mortality supports current literature regarding solid tumors in general, while intubation being a significant predictor for mortality in patients with sepsis and cancer regardless of type builds on previous research. A limitation of this study is the relative low number of included cases with poor-prognosis cancer types. Further evaluation is needed to understand the implications of our results for end-of-life care and ICU admission for patients with these characteristics.

Introduction: According to the International Evidence-Based Recommendations for Point-of-Care Lung Ultrasound published in 2012, the sonographic technique for evaluating a patient for a pneumothorax (PTX) “consists of exploration of the least gravitationally dependent areas progressing more laterally” in the supine patient. However, there is a wide variety of scanning protocols in the literature with varying accuracy and complexity. We sought to derive an efficient and accurate scanning protocol for diagnosing pneumothorax using point of care ultrasound in trauma. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of a tertiary care trauma registry from Nov 2006 to Aug 2016. We included patients with a PTX diagnosed on computed tomography (CT). Patients were excluded if they did not have an identifiable PTX on the CT scan or if they underwent a tube thoracostomy prior to the CT scan. Penetrating and blunt trauma were eligible. Data were extracted with a standardized data collection tool and 20% of charts reviewed by two reviewers. Pre defined zones were used to map area of PTXs on CT. Sensitivity, specificity and 95% CI are reported for presence of PTXs in each individual or combination of lung zones as identified on CT scan. Results: Data were collection yielded 170 traumatic PTX on chest CT with an average age of 44.2 and 77.8% male. The kappa for data extraction was 0.88. 19.4% of patients had bilateral PTX leading to a total sample size of 203. The average ISS score was 20.7 and 93% of patients survived to discharge. The length of ICU stay and hospital stay was 3.7 and 11.2 days respectively. The most accurate and efficient protocol would involve scanning the inferior border of the clavicle at the para-sternal border and again at the mid-clavicular line down to the cardiac (left hemithorax) and liver lung points (right hemithorax). The sensitivity of this scanning area in the detection of PTXs was 91.6% (95% CI 86.9-95%,). Limiting the area to the most anterior point of the chest wall increased the risk of missing a PTX (Sensitivity 89.7% (95%CI 84.6-93.5)). Conclusion: We have derived an evidence-based standardized accurate and efficient scanning protocol to rule out a pneumothorax on point of care ultrasound.

Introduction: Dizziness is a common presentation in emergency departments (ED), accounting for 2-3% of all visits. The majority are due to benign causes the most common of which is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The Dix-Hallpike maneuver is used to diagnose BPPV with an affected posterior semicircular canal. A positive Dix-Hallpike exam should lead physicians to exclude central causes for a patient's symptoms and confirm no need for further imaging. The purpose of our study was to verify the accuracy of the Dix-Hallpike maneuver for ruling out a central cause of dizziness. Methods: We performed a medical records review of adult patients with dizziness/vertigo presenting to a tertiary care ED (September 2014 and March 2018). We included those with a suspicion for BPPV and underwent a Dix-Hallpike maneuver. We excluded patients who presented with dizziness for longer than two weeks, syncope, systolic hypotension <90 or a GCS <15. Individual patient data were linked with the Institute of Clinical Evaluation Science (ICES) database. Our outcome was a central cause defined as: ischemic stroke (IS), brain tumour, intra cerebral haemorrhage (ICH), or multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosed on either neurology assessment, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or diagnostic codes related to central causes found within ICES. Results: 3109 patients were identified of these 469 patients underwent a Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre. Central causes of dizziness accounted for 1.1% of all diagnoses. Probability of a central cause for dizziness in those with a positive Dix-Hallpike was 1.3%(3/229). Only 85(18.1%) patients were appropriate for the Dix-Hallpike(intermittent, position-evoked vertigo without any neurological deficits). In appropriate patients the prevalence of central cause of dizziness was 3%(1/31). This patient had > 3 risk factors for stroke (age > 65, hypertension, diabetes, ischemic heart disease). A positive Dix-Hallpike in appropriate patients with <3 risk factors for stroke was 100% (95%CI 88.8% -100%) sensitive in ruling out a central cause for dizziness. Conclusion: The Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre is performed on a large number of inappropriate patients. When performed on appropriate patients with <3 risk factors for stroke a positive Dix-Hallpike can rule out a central cause of vertigo. Educating physicians as to the appropriate patient population could reduce unnecessary imaging and improve diagnostic accuracy.

Introduction: Pain is a significant driver of demand in emergency care and 65% of adult patients with trauma also report moderate to severe pain. Inhaled low dose methoxyflurane (MEOF) a rapid-acting patient administered inhalational analgesic was recently approved in Canada for the short-term relief of moderate to severe acute pain associated with trauma or interventional medical procedures in conscious adult patients. This study will generate real-world evidence to complement the global clinical development program through evaluation of the effectiveness of MEOF in Canadian emergency departments. Methods: This is a phase IV, prospective open label, multi-centre study. Approximately 100 adult (≥18 yrs) patients with moderate to severe acute pain (NRS0-10≥4) associated with single system trauma will be enrolled at 5-10 EDs across Canada. Patients will receive a single treatment of up to 2 x 3 mL MEOF (2nd 3 mL to be provided only upon request), self-administered by the patient under medical supervision. Rescue medication will be permitted at any time, if required. Results: Planned Assessments and Outcome Measures: Pain will be assessed using the NRS0-10 at 4 time points: screening/triage, 5 minutes and 20 minutes post-start of administration (STA) of MEOF, and when ready for discharge. Secondary assessments will include the speed of action of analgesia (from STA of MEOF); patient and physician satisfaction with treatment (as assessed through Global Medical Performance (GMP) at 20 minutes post-STA and when ready for discharge); patient and physician fulfilment of pain relief expectations (assessed when ready for discharge); use of rescue medication and treatment-emergent adverse events. Exploratory outcomes will include the time to disposition, time to readiness for discharge and responder analysis. The primary outcome measure will be the change in pain intensity over 20 minutes from the start of administration of MEOF as measured on the NRS0-10. Conclusion: We report on the methodology of a phase IV, prospective open label, multi-centre study, evaluating the use of MEOF for the management of acute traumatic pain in Canadian Emergency Departments.

Introduction: Children account for a low proportion of paramedic transports. Evidence suggests that many pediatric transports are of low acuity, but there are few studies comparing these patients to those that self-present to the ED. Our primary objective was to determine if illness severity was associated with presentation by ambulance among pediatric patients. Methods: We undertook a single centre, retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care pediatric centre. All patients presenting to the ED in 2015 by any route other than air ambulance were eligible. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the route of presentation – ambulance or self-presentation. The primary outcome was disposition decision; the secondary outcome was CTAS level. To determine whether patient discharge disposition or CTAS was associated with method of arrival, we conducted generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for correlation within patients with multiple ED visits. Results: Of the 69,092 visits, 69,034 were eligible and analyzed. Of those, 4478 arrived by ambulance, while 64,556 self-presented. Those arriving by ambulance had a median age of 10 years [IQR: 2-5 years] vs. 4 years [IQR: 1.75-10 years] in the self-presenting group, and were 52.6% male (vs. 52.8%). Two percent of the ambulance cohort were admitted to the ICU (vs. 0.2%), and 16.6% were admitted to the ward (vs. 5%). Patients presenting by ambulance had higher CTAS scores – 5.3% CTAS 1 (vs. 0.3%), 16.4% CTAS 2 (vs. 7.0% ), 61.2% CTAS 3 (vs. 45.8%), and 17.1% CTAS 4-5 (vs. 46.9%). The odds of arriving by ambulance were 10.2 x higher for patients admitted to the ICU (OR = 10.2, 95%CI: 7.9 to 13.3) vs. those discharged home. The odds of arriving by ambulance was 64.2 x (OR = 64.2, 95% CI: 48.6 to 84.7) higher for patients CTAS 1 patients vs. CTAS 5 patients. The top 3 complaints among ambulance patients were respiratory (22.7%), orthopedic (14.7%), and general/minor (10.3%). Among self-presenting patients, the top three were general/minor (22.5%), respiratory (18.0%), and gastrointestinal (15.7%). Conclusion: Children presenting to the ED via ambulance are at higher risk for admission to the ward and critical care unit. It is important that EMS staff responsible for transporting children be well trained in managing critically ill children. Given the low proportion of pediatric transports, consideration must be given to how best to train EMS services in managing these children.

Introduction: Transcutaneous cardiac pacing (TCP) is recommended for the treatment of symptomatic bradycardia, a life-threatening condition. Although TCP is taught in ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) courses, it is a difficult skill to master for junior residents. The main objective of this study is to measure the impact of having access to a checklist on successful TCP implementation. Our hypothesis was that the availability of a CL would improve performance of junior residents in the management of symptomatic bradycardia by facilitating TCP. Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, single-site study. First-year residents entering postgraduate programs and taking a mandatory ACLS course were enrolled. Students had didactic sessions on the management of symptomatic bradycardia followed by hands-on teaching on a low-fidelity manikin (ALS® simulator, Laerdal) using a CL conceived for this project as a teaching tool. Study participants were then assessed with a simulation scenario requiring TCP. Participants were randomly assigned to groups with and without CL accessibility. Performances were graded on six critical tasks. The primary outcome was the successful use of TCP, defined as having completed all tasks. Participants then completed a post-test questionnaire. Sample size estimation was based on a previous project (Ranger et al., 2018). Accepting an alpha error of 0.05 and a power of 80%, 45 participants in each group would permit the detection of 26.5% in performance gain. Results: Of 250 residents completing the ACLS course in 2017, 85 voluntary participants were randomized to a control group (no CL available during testing, n = 42) or an experimental group (CL available during testing, n = 43). Six participants in the experimental group adequately used TCP compared to five participants in the control group (p = 0.81, chi-squared test). Out of the 43 participants who had access to the CL, only 2 (5%) used it. Reasons why the CL was infrequently used were stated as the following: 24 participants (56%) mentioned not realizing it was available, 8 (19%) considered it was of little to no utility and 5 (19%) forgot a CL existed. Conclusion: Availability of a checklist previously used during simulation teaching did not increase junior residents’ capacity to correctly apply TCP. Non-recognition of CL availability and decreased perceived need for it were the main reasons for marginal use. Our results suggest that there are many limiting factors to CL effectiveness.

Innovation Concept: Free open access medical education (FOAM) is a quickly growing field. While there is an abundance of resources online, and on social media, the quality of those resources should always be questioned and reviewed. Furthermore, as medical learners progress in their training, they become lead consumers and producers of FOAM. Our educational innovation concept was the introduction of two FOAM streams into our residency program to assist learners to produce their own content with mentorship from our emergency medicine faculty. Methods: Medical students and residents training in the emergency department were encouraged to submit content to either our department website in the form of a clinical PEARL, or a research paper to the departmental Cureus online journal. All website content was reviewed by an attending physician and all Cureus content was submitted for further peer review and publication if approved. All published content was shared on social media through our department's Twitter account. A select number of residents were also mentored in reviewing and editing FOAM content and publishing it to our departmental website. Curriculum, Tool or Material: sjrhem.ca is the Saint John Regional Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine's website. A portion of the website is dedicated to posts arising from departmental rounds, case reviews as well as posts from learners in the form of clinical PEARLS. They are designed as succinct and informative clinical summaries and allow learners to share their content to a wider audience online. Cureus.com is an online journal of medical science, with a dedicated Dalhousie Emergency Medicine Channel. The editors are local emergency medicine faculty and senior residents, while reviewers are independent. In the last year, the clinical pearls received 5672 views, and the Cureus channel received 1143 content views. Conclusion: Feedback from learners regarding publication of their own FOAM has been positive and has allowed them to share their content to a much wider audience through our Departmental Website, Cureus Channel and Twitter stream. Furthermore, we are helping to prepare residents to produce their own high quality content, allowing our FOAM program to grow.