
The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine
Meet 'em, greet 'em, treat 'em and street 'em
Latest episodes

Jun 28, 2025 • 39min
SGEM#478: If I Were a Man: Sex-Based Disparities in the Treatment of STIs
Reference: Solnick et al. Sex Disparities in Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Treatment in US Adult Emergency Departments: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. AEM June 2025 Date: June 24, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Suchismita Datta. She is an Assistant Professor and Director of Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the NYU Grossman Long Island Hospital […]
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Jun 15, 2025 • 33min
SGEM#477: I Can Feel It Coming In the Air Tonight…But By Which Pre-Oxygenation Strategy
Reference: Ye et al. Preoxygenation strategies before intubation in patients with acute hypoxic respiratory failure: a network meta-analysis. Frontiers in Medicine. 2025 Feb Date: June 12, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Aine Yore is an Emergency Physician, practicing in the Seattle, Washington area for over twenty years. She is the former president of the Washington chapter […]
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Jun 7, 2025 • 24min
SGEM Xtra: Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It – To Be an EM Doc
Date: June 2, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Andrew (Andy) Tagg is an Emergency Physician with a special interest in education and lifelong learning. He is the co-founder and website lead of Don’t Forget the Bubbles. This is another SGEM Xtra that talks about what we can learn about being physicians from certain pop culture (TV […]
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Jun 1, 2025 • 37min
SGEM Xtra: Ten Lessons They Don’t Teach in Medical School (But Should)
Date: May 14, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Ross Prager is an Intensivist at the London Health Sciences Centre and an adjunct professor at Western University. His expertise in critical care medicine is complemented by his research interests in critical care ultrasound and evidence-based knowledge translation. This is an SGEM Xtra episode. The inspiration was a […]
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May 24, 2025 • 45min
SGEM#476: Cuts like a Knife or Antibiotics for Pediatric Appendicitis
Dr. Camille Wu, a leading pediatric surgeon at Sydney Children’s Hospital, delves into the contentious debate over treating pediatric appendicitis. She discusses the growing role of antibiotics versus traditional surgeries, citing recent studies on treatment efficacy. The dialogue touches on the complexities of diagnosis and management, including cultural differences in practices between Australia and the US. Additionally, the conversation highlights patient perspectives and the emotional considerations impacting treatment choices, urging a more personalized approach.

May 17, 2025 • 26min
SGEM#475: Break on Through to the Other Side – Management of Clinical Scaphoid Fractures
Reference: Cohen et al; SUSPECT study group. Can we avoid casting for suspected scaphoid fractures? A multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Orthop Traumatol. 2025 Date: May 1, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Matt Schmitz is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in Adolescent Sports Medicine and Young Adult Hip Preservation. He practices at the Rady Children’s Hospital in […]
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May 10, 2025 • 29min
SGEM Xtra: Doctor, Doctor – Paging Dr. Robby
Date: May 6, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Actor, producer and director Noah Wyle. Many of us know him as Dr. John Carter from ER, the show that arguably influenced an entire generation of EM physicians. Since that groundbreaking show, he has been busy with multiple movie roles (Pirates of Silicon Valley, Donnie Darko, White Oleander, Shot, and […]
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May 3, 2025 • 31min
SGEM#474: Help! Which Clinical Decision Aid should I use to Risk Stratify Febrile Infants?
Reference: Umana E, et al. Performance of clinical decision aids for the care of young febrile infants: A multicenter prospective cohort study. eClinicalMedicine Lancet December 2024 Date: March 6, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Demetris Athanasiou is a paediatric registrar based in London and enrolled in the PEM MSc program through Queen Mary University in London. Case: […]
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Apr 26, 2025 • 54min
SGEM#473: Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind – Midazolam or Ketamine for Acute Agitation in the Pre-Hospital Setting
Reference: Muldowney et al. A Comparison of Ketamine to Midazolam for the Management of Acute Behavioral Disturbance in the Out-of-Hospital Setting. Ann Emerg Med. 2025 Date: April 24, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Howie Mell received his Medical Doctorate (MD) from the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine at Rockford. Prior to that, he […]
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Apr 19, 2025 • 39min
SGEM#472: Together In Electric Dreams – Or Is It Reality?
Reference: Kareemi et al Artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support in the emergency department: a scoping review. AEM April 2025. Date: April 15, 2025 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Kirsty Challen is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. Case: It may be April, but as you sit in your departmental meeting with your emergency physician colleagues, you all […]
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