Can J Emerg Med
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Review
Education scholarship in emergency medicine part 1: innovating and improving teaching and learning.
As emergency medicine (EM) education evolves, a more advanced understanding of education scholarship is required. This article is the first in a series of three articles that reports the recommendations of the 2013 education scholarship consensus conference of the Academic Section of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians. Adopting the Canadian Association for Medical Education's definition, education scholarship (including both research and innovation) is defined. A rationale for why education scholarship should be a priority for EM is discussed.
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Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is the most common form of periodic paralysis and is characterized by attacks of muscle paralysis associated with a low serum potassium (K+) level due to an acute intracellular shifting. Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP), characterized by the triad of muscle paralysis, acute hypokalemia, and hyperthyroidism, is one cause of hypokalemic periodic paralysis. The triggering of an attack of undiagnosed TPP by β2-adrenergic bronchodilators has, to our knowledge, not been reported previously. ⋯ One patient developed hyperkalemia after a total potassium chloride supplementation of 110 mmol. Thyroid function testing was diagnostic of primary hyperthyroidism due to Graves disease in both cases. These cases illustrate that β2-adrenergic bronchodilators should be considered a potential precipitant of TPP.
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Multicenter Study
Assessment of consultation impact on emergency department operations through novel metrics of responsiveness and decision-making efficiency.
Requests for specialty consultation are common in emergency departments (EDs) and often contribute to delays in throughput. Our objectives were to describe the contribution of the consultation process to total ED length of stay (LOS) through novel metrics and illustrate causes of delay. ⋯ The consultation process is highly variable and has an important impact on ED LOS. We describe novel measures related to consultation performance and provide an analysis of what causes delays. These results can be used to seek improvements in the consulting process.
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Successful emergency medicine (EM) education scholarship requires a systematic approach that includes searching the (grey) literature, mobilizing resources, adopting frameworks to focus the innovation, integrating a component of program evaluation, and disseminating the innovation via traditional and emerging avenues. This paper provides direction for EM teachers and educators looking to transform their education innovation into scholarship. Recommendations on producing EM education scholarship from the 2013 consensus conference of the Academic Section of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians are presented.
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Emergency medicine (EM) is defined, in part, by clinical excellence across an immense breadth of content and the provision of exemplary bedside teaching to a wide variety of learners. The specialty is also well-suited to a number of emerging areas of education scholarship, particularly in relation to team-based learning, clinical reasoning, acute care response, and simulation-based teaching. ⋯ Specifically, as a new generation of emergency physicians prepares for education careers, academic organizations need to develop means not only to identify potential scholars but also to mentor, support, and encourage their careers. This paper summarizes the supporting literature and presents related recommendations from a 2013 consensus conference on EM education scholarship led by the Academic Section of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians.