CJEM
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Review
Heatstroke presentations to urban hospitals during BC's extreme heat event: lessons for the future.
Climate change is leading to more extreme heat events in temperate climates that typically have low levels of preparedness. Our objective was to describe the characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of adults presenting to hospitals with heatstroke during BC's 2021 heat dome. ⋯ Heatstroke patients were unable to activate 911 themselves, and most presented with a 48-h delay. This delay may represent a critical window of opportunity for pre-hospital and hospital systems to prepare for the influx of high-acuity resource-intensive patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Completeness and accuracy of digital charting vs paper charting in simulated pediatric cardiac arrest: a randomized controlled trial.
To determine if data collected through digital charting are more complete and more accurate compared to traditional paper-based charting during simulated pediatric cardiac arrest. ⋯ Compared to paper-based charting, digital charting group captured more critical tasks during pediatric simulated resuscitation and was more accurate in the time intervals between real-time tasks performance and charted time. For tasks charted, paper-based charting was significantly more complete and more detailed during simulated pediatric cardiac arrest.
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Virtual care in Canada rapidly expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic in a low-rules environment in response to pressing needs for ongoing access to care amid public health restrictions. Emergency medicine specialists now face the challenge of advising on which virtual urgent care services ought to remain as part of comprehensive emergency care. Consideration must be given to safe, quality, and appropriate care as well as issues of equitable access, public demand, and sustainability (financial and otherwise). The aim of this project was to summarize current literature and expert opinion and formulate recommendations on the path forward for virtual care in emergency medicine. ⋯ Virtual urgent care has become an established service in the Canadian health care system. Emergency medicine specialists are uniquely suited to provide leadership and guidance on the optimal delivery of these services to enhance and complement emergency care in Canada.
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To determine the association between neighborhood marginalization and rates of pediatric ED visits in Ottawa, Ontario. Secondary objectives investigated if the association between neighborhood marginalization and rates varied by year, acuity, and distance to hospital. ⋯ Neighborhood residential instability and material deprivation should be considered when locating alternatives to emergency care.