Tuesday June 15 & Thursday June 17
Track Chairs
Murdoch Leeies
MD FRCPC
Dr. Leeies is a Canadian Emergency Medicine and Critical Care Medicine Specialist Physician. He is the research program director for the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Manitoba.
Dr. Welsford is a staff emergency physician at Hamilton Health Sciences, a Professor and the Division Director at McMaster University. As a self-professed evidence nerd, she has been involved in resuscitation guideline development for over 15 years through her volunteer work with Heart & Stroke Canada and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation. She is also involved in systems of care research in cardiac, trauma, and sepsis. More recently she has been involved in innovative projects including paramedic palliative care and ED virtual care including a focus on residents of long-term-care. She misses travel immensely and hopes to see you all in person at a conference some time soon.
Description
The CAEP 2021 COVID Track features several Emergency Medicine rising stars in Canada who will highlight some great innovations in care, patient advocacy, and research related to the global pandemic, in addition to up-to-date evidence-based therapeutics and critical-care triage for patients with COVID-19.
Learning Objectives
Attendees of the CAEP 2021 COVID Track will leave with a solid knowledge of the up-to-date evidence-based strategies for managing patients with COVID-19 and hopefully spark additional innovation, advocacy, and research after learning more about the great new projects lead by their emergency medicine colleagues as part of the Canadian national response to COVID-19.
Tuesday June 15
Speakers
Prehospital/Paramedic Innovations
A review of COVID related care to traditional EMS patients and an introduction to a number of innovative COVID care models utilizing prehospital providers.
Learning Objectives
Review COVID care to traditional EMS patients
Introduce new COVID related innovations utilizing prehosital care providers
Provide a data review of the innovative care models
Pearls
Clinical criteria for the safe deferral of transport for COVID patients
Review risks associated with CPAP in prehospital care
Virtual ED/LTC Innovations
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Canadian Emergency Physicians to innovate and provide virtual ED visits for children, adults, and long-term-care residents. This session will review pearls and pitfalls for successful virtual ED programs.
Learning Objectives
Highlight innovative virtual emergency care programs and their keys to success
Identify the risks of transfer to the ED for frail long-term care residents, and review ideas and innovations on ways to reduce unnecessary transfers
Pearls
ED virtual care is feasible and very well-received by patients and families
ED virtual care may reduce the risk of ED avoidant behaviour in true emergencies
We can do better for LTC residents by providing enhanced acute care services in their home; the ED may be the key to such a collaborative, innovative effort
COVID, Homelessness, and the Overdose Crisis: Innovations for Overlapping Emergencies
The COVID pandemic has had a dramatic impact on people experiencing homelessness in Canada. Health systems have developed rapid innovations to improve support for people experiencing homelessness during the pandemic, particularly those who also use drugs.
Learning Objectives
Identify the increased risks of COVID-19 for people living in congregate settings
Review key features of mixed medical and social care models within and beyond emergency departments
Highlight key learnings from the Toronto COVID Recovery Site experience.
Pearls
Integration of peer workers into emergency care has tangible benefits for patients and providers.
COVID isolation requires a flexible, client-centred approach with both medical and social supports.
Permanent housing is urgently required to decrease the morbidity and mortality from homelessness (and COVID).
Thursday June 17
Speakers
The Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network (CCEDRRN) – Preliminary Results
This talk will describe CCEDRRN, Canada’s largest collaborative research network to date, and present preliminary research results.
Learning Objectives
To describe Canada’s largest collaborative research network
To describe challenges in creating the network
To present preliminary results
Evidence Updates in COVID-19: Therapies, Trials, and ED Practice
There’s been an overwhelming amount of research on COVID-19. Learn about the latest evidence-based treatment modalities for COVID-19 in the ED and beyond!
Learning Objectives
Appraise the evidence for treatment modalities in COVID-19
Describe ED management principles for patients with COVID-19
Recognize the criteria patients need to meet to be eligible for certain novel therapies
Pearls
When admitting a patient with COVID-19 on oxygen, treat them dexamethasone
When admitting a patient with COVID-19 on HFNC, ask the admitting provider about the possibility of administering tociluzimab
Encourage your patients to get the COVID-19 vaccine when they become eligible
Critical Care Triage in a Pandemic
Objectives
Describe the importance of a planned approach to triaging limited resources in a pandemic
Discuss the principles that should underlie a triage system
Explain the challenges associated with the allocation of limited resources in a pandemic environment
Pearls
We’re the fire department, not the fire- preventable deaths and nonconsensual decision-making are inevitable in an overwhelming surge
The best way to limit implicit bias and subjectivity is with explicit guidelines
There is no “correct” approach to balancing priorities, but if you criticize approach X, you must provide an alternative approach and explain why it balances the priorities better than approach X