The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine

Dr. Aaron Skolnick, an Assistant Professor at Mayo Clinic specializing in emergency medicine, dives into the complexities of diagnosing sepsis. He discusses the promising potential of Monocyte Distribution Width (MDW) as a rapid biomarker for early detection. Skolnick highlights the challenges of identifying sepsis due to its nonspecific symptoms and critiques existing diagnostic methodologies. The conversation also covers the biases in observational studies versus randomized control trials, and evaluates the clinical implications of MDW in emergency settings.

Dr. Ross Prager, an intensivist and adjunct professor, dives into the revolutionary role of AI in clinical research. He highlights how AI enhances patient eligibility screening and data analysis while stressing the need for human insight. The ethical implications of AI, including data privacy and bias, are discussed candidly. Prager also emphasizes the importance of maintaining high quality in systematic reviews despite automation. Listeners gain insights into the future of AI in healthcare and the critical balance required to harness its potential responsibly.

Join emergency medicine experts Tabitha Cheng, an EMS fellowship-trained physician, Julie Leonard, a pediatric EM attending and research leader, and Caleb Ward, a dedicated principal investigator in pediatrics. They dive into the latest advancements in cervical spine injury assessments in children, discussing innovative risk stratification systems and the PCARN decision rule. The conversation touches on the importance of minimizing radiation exposure and the evolving role of cervical collars in emergency care. They also explore collaborative approaches to enhancing pediatric care outcomes.

Date: January 9, 2025 Reference: White et al. Evidence of questionable research practices in clinical prediction models. BMC Med 2023 Guest Skeptic: Dr. Jestin Carlson is the Program Director for the AHN-Saint Vincent EM Residency in Erie Pennsylvania.  He is the former National Director of Clinical Education for US Acute Care Solutions and an American […] The post SGEM#466: I Love ROC-n-Roll…But Not When It’s Hacked first appeared on The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine.

Date: January 7, 2025 Guest Skeptics: Dr. Dara Kass is an emergency medicine physician, public health leader, and advocate passionate about equity and healthcare reform. She founded FemInEM, promoting gender equity in emergency medicine, and champions organ donation reform after donating part of her liver to her youngest son. Dr. Kass is dedicated to expanding […] The post SGEM Xtra: This is My Fight Song – FeminEM 2.0 first appeared on The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine.

Date: December 2o, 2024 Reference: Kotani et al. Positive single-center randomized trials and subsequent multicenter randomized trials in critically ill patients: a systematic review. Crit Care. 2023  Guest Skeptic: Dr. Scott Weingart is an ED Intensivist from New York. He did fellowships in Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, and ECMO. He is a physician coach concentrating […] The post SGEM#465: Not A Second Time – Single Center RCTs Fail To Replicate In Multi-Center RCTs first appeared on The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine.

Date: December 6, 2024 Guest Skeptic: Akil Dasan is a multifaceted artist renowned for his talents as a rapper, singer, guitarist, and beatboxer. He gained prominence as a member of the British jazz-rap group Us3, contributing to their 2006 album “Schizophonic“. This is an SGEM Xtra. We have done a top ten list before on the […] The post SGEM Xtra: Think, About It – Ten Commandments for Teachers first appeared on The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine.

Date: December 26, 2024 Reference: Steinhauser S et al. Emergency department staff compassion is associated with lower fear of enacted stigma among patients with opioid use disorder. AEM December 2024 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 Campus. […] The post SGEM#464: I Can Do It with A Broken Heart – Compassion for Patients with OUD first appeared on The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine.

Date: December 15, 2024 Guest Skeptics: Dr. Chris Carpenter, Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine at Mayo Clinic. Today, we’re sleighing through the holiday season with a special episode filled with statistical cheer, a dash of skepticism, and a hint of eggnog-flavoured nerdiness. This is an SGEM Xtra like the one we did on What I […] The post SGEM Xtra: The 12 Days of Christmas the SGEM Gave to Me first appeared on The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine.

Reference: Sanchez-Pinto, L.N., et al. Development and Validation of the Phoenix Criteria for Pediatric Sepsis and Septic Shock. JAMA 2024​​. Guest Skeptic: Prof. Damian Roland is a Consultant at the University of Leicester NHS Trust and Honorary Professor for the University of Leicester’s SAPPHIRE group. He specializes in Paediatric Emergency Medicine and is a passionate […] The post SGEM #463: Like the Legend of the Phoenix… Criteria for Sepsis first appeared on The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine.