Core Questions: 

1. What are the three anatomically-distinct zones of the pharynx, and what structures outline their borders?
   1. Ultrasound of the Neck
   2. Lateral neck radiograph
   3. Nasopharyngoscopy
   4. CT Soft Tissues Neck
2. Describe the utility of the following imaging modalities in the patient with sore throat.
3. Outline five viral, five bacterial, and five other potential aetiologies of sore throat in the ED patient? (Table 20.1)
4. Outline the components of the Modified Centor Score and describe its application.
5. Describe the diagnostic algorithm for the patient with sore throat. (Figure 20.4)
6. Outline the approach to managing a patient with sore throat in the ED. (Figure 20.4)
7. What antibiotics can be used in the  patient with suspected or confirmed streptococcal pharyngitis? (Box 20.2)

Wisecracks: 

1. In what age groups is streptococcal pharyngitis rarely seen?
2. What is Waldeyer’s Tonsillar Ring?
3. What is the “thumb sign” and what pathology does it point to?

Core Questions: 

1. Detail the pertinent points to review when taking the history of a patient presenting with a red and painful eye - Box 19.2
2. Outline an approach to the ocular physical examination - Box 19.3
3. Outline the components of the slit lamp examination - Box 19.4 
4. What signs and symptoms, if present, likely indicate the presence of serious ocular pathologies - Box 19.1
5. What is a relative afferent pupillary defect and what conditions cause it?
6. List ten causes of increase intraocular pressure
7. List five causes for an absent red reflex - Box 19.5
8. Name three critical, emergent, urgent, and non-urgent causes of the red and painful eye? - Figure 19.8

Wisecracks: 

1. What are the fundoscopic findings of a central retinal artery occlusion.
2. What is the pinhole test and what visual disturbances does it correct?
3. What are the three most common causes of an irregularly shaped pupil
4. What is Seidel’s Test and what condition does it identify?

Core Questions: 

1. What is diplopia and how is it classified?
2. What four questions help clinicians delineate the potential cause of a patient’s diplopia?
3. What are the cardinal directions of gaze and how are they tested?
4. Outline the physical exam for the patient with monocular and binocular diplopia.
5. Outline the DDx for monocular diplopia?
6. Outline the DDx for binocular diplopia? [Table 18.1]
7. Detail the different oculomotor palsies. [Figure 18.3]
8. Detail the various lacunar stroke syndromes. [Box 18.1]
9. Define internuclear ophthalmoplegia.
10. What ancillary tests are required for the patient presenting with diplopia? [Figure 18.4]

Wisecracks: 

1. What are the most common oculomotor palsies and what causes them?
2. What is orbital apex syndrome?
3. What is the “rule of the pupil” and how reliable is it?
4. Detail the physical exam maneuvers used to identify patients with myasthenia gravis.

Ruminations from two residents about handling and thriving in call shifts for medical students.

Welcome to ClerkCast! A podcast for medical students by medical students, focusing on cognitive approaches to common EM presentations.

This episode covers how to approach patients with chest pain in the Emergency Department as a medical student with our guest co-host Dr. Shawn Mondoux, staff EM doc at St Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton, and a Quality Improvement guru

We cover:

1. The SIX CAN'T MISS chest pain diagnoses

2. Acute coronary syndrome and the Terrible Triad

3. Aortic dissection history pearls

4. Investigations in patients with chest pain

Enjoy!

Core Questions: 

1. List three primary headache disorders
2. Describe the pathophysiology of migraines and name three Emergency Department treatments for same
3. List five critical and five emergent causes of headache (Table 17.1)
4. Outline your approach to the history for the patient presenting with headache ( Box 17.1)
5. Outline your approach to the physical exam for the patient presenting with headache (Table 17.3)
6. Describe your diagnostic approach to the patient with a suspected SAH
7. Detail the findings on LP that would suggest your patient has bacterial meningitis

Wisecracks: 

1. What percentage of patients presenting with headache to the ED have a SAH?
2. Outline the SNOOP MEETS Pregnancy mnemonic
3. Which diagnostic test is best to establish the diagnosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis?
4. Detail how to elicit Kernig’s and Brudzinski’s Sign 

Welcome to ClerkCast! A podcast for medical students by medical students, focusing on cognitive approaches to common EM presentations.

This episode covers how to succeed in the Emergency Department as a medical student with our guest co-host Dr. Teresa Chan, staff EM doc at Hamilton Health Sciences, CanadiEM co-founder, and medical educator extraordinaire

We cover:

1. How to structure your differential diagnosis in the ED

2. Eye-balling a patient - edits have been made clarifying the ABCs

3. How to prioritize management in the ED using the RAPID mnemonic

4. How to present a case in the ED

5. Feedback at the end of a shift

Enjoy!

An intro to the latest CanadiEM podcast, ClerkCast!

Hosted by two McMaster medical students, Lauren Beals and Ben Forestell, ClerkCast is your one stop shop for approaches to common EM presentations... enjoy!

On this episode of First Year Diaries, I am joined by Dr. Mike Kirlew, a rural family and emergency medicine physician from Sioux Lookout in Northern Ontario. I asked him about how he ended up working in a rural area, and what it is like working with scarce medical resources. Later, we discussed how a resident physician can prepare themselves for working in a rural community, and how best to transition to living in a rural area.

Core Questions: 

1. What is dizziness and what pathologies can cause it?
2. Define vertigo and acute vestibular syndrome
3. What three systems are involved in the maintenance of equilibrium and how many of these systems must be affected to cause vertigo?
4. Trace the neuronal impulse from the vestibular apparatus to the muscle endplate
5. Define nystagmus
6. List five peripheral causes of vertigo (see Table 16.2)
7. List five central causes of vertigo (see Table 16.2)
8. Differentiate between central and peripheral vertigo based on history and clinical exam findings
9. Describe the Dix Hallpike Test
10. Outline your approach to the HINTS exam
11. What is the Epley maneuver and what pathology does it treat?
12. Describe the Barbecue Roll Test and what pathology does it treat?
13. Outline your approach to managing the vertiginous patient

Wisecracks: 

1. What diagnoses cause both vertigo and hearing loss?
2. What features of nystagmus suggest a central pathology?
3. What is truncal ataxia and what typically causes it?