Saturday, April 30

ACLS Update: 2015 Guidelines (plenary)
How has ACLS changed since the last guidelines? Is your practice up to date? Video of a simulated code will be used to highlight the changes to ACLS in the 2015 Heart and Stroke Foundation Guidelines Update.

Resuscitating Communication With Your Consultant (plenary)
We interact daily with consultants. Admission, advice, definitive care: these are just some of the reasons that we contact our colleagues. Sometimes these conversations go well but sometimes the process breaks down. What can we do as emergency physicians to facilitate positive interactions with consultants?

Ask the Expert: Pediatric Emergency Medicine Panel (plenary)
Covering a range of acute care pediatric topics, this moderated panel will discuss cases and answer your questions on the diagnosis and management of common and critical pediatric presentations.

Toxicology Case Studies: The Critically Ill Poisoned Patient (workshop)
Emergency physicians see many patients with benign ingestions - and the occasional really sick one. This interactive workshop will review cases of the poisoned patient who is critically ill, with a focus on prompt recognition, early supportive care, and definitive therapy.

Using Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Shock: The RUSH exam (workshop)
How can ultrasound be used to assist in diagnosing the etiology of shock? This workshop reviews the evidence behind using ultrasound for the undifferentiated shock patient, and details the elements of the RUSH (rapid ultrasound for shock and hypotension) exam.

PALS 2015 Update (workshop)
What’s new in PALS? Be ready for your next critically ill pediatric patient. Get up to date with a review of the 2015 Heart and Stroke Foundation Guidelines Update.

The Crashing Patient: Interactive Live Sim Cases (workshop)
This is a live, interactive simulation workshop. Using one medical and one trauma case, a team of instructors will run a live simulated resuscitation of a high-fidelity manikin. The moderator will pause the demo at times in order to solicit anonymous feedback from the audience on what the next step in management should be. It’s a choose-your-own- adventure sim! The cases will end with a summary of key teaching points related to resuscitation.

Acid Base & the ABG: Back to Basics! (workshop)
Acid Base. We all remember learning it. We all know it (at least we think we do!). But it’s still great to have a refresher. This case-based workshop will briefly review a solid approach to acid-base problems, and then will use cases to reinforce the concepts.

STARS Sim: Trauma Edition (workshop)
Come join the STARS crew in the Mobile Education Unit (also known as the Sim Bus!) for an interactive simulated trauma case. These talented educators will guide you through the simulation process and end with a few key points on trauma management. Please note that space is very limited for this session.

STEMI Management in 2016: New, Tried & True (plenary)
Is your management of STEMI up to date? Hear a cardiologist’s take for a 20-minute “just-the-facts” tour of current best practices for the management of STEMI.

Reversal of Direct Oral Anticoagulants (plenary)
With more and more patients on the novel (direct) oral anticoagulants, emergency physicians are increasingly faced with managing these patients when they have severe bleeding such as ICH or GI bleeding. What is the approach to managing bleeding in these patients? Is there an antidote for the DOACs? What is the evidence for use of various therapies in reversing DOACs?

Sepsis and Septic Shock: What You Need to Know (plenary)
Sepsis and septic shock are frequently seen in the emergency department. It is crucial for emergency providers to recognize sepsis early, and to intervene early with appropriate management. This plenary session reviews the current evidence-based guidelines for managing sepsis and septic shock.

Chest Tube Skills Lab (skills session)
Using manikins and real equipment, participants will insert two chest tubes from start to finish. Technique, indications and contraindications will be reviewed.

Surgical Airway Skills Lab (skills session)
This skills lab uses a tissue model (pig tracheas) to allow participants the opportunity to perform needle and open cricothyrotomy, following a brief presentation and instructor demonstration.

Lumbar Puncture Skills Lab (skills session)
Adult and pediatric manikins provide the opportunity to refine their lumbar puncture technique. The use of ultrasound for landmarking is also reviewed.

STARS Sim: Twice the Fun! Cardiac & Tox Edition (skills session)
Join the STARS crew for a longer session that allows participants to work in a small group to resuscitate a simulated patient. Over the course of 2 cases, learn about key management points related to the resuscitation of critically ill cardiac and toxicologic patients.

Sunday, May 1

Approach to Shock: Pearls & Pitfalls (plenary)
Shock is bread and butter emergency medicine. But subtle presentations can be initially missed, and differentiating etiology can be challenging. This session provides perspective from a physician who practices both emergency medicine and critical care, and emphasizes the importance of recognizing and treating shock in the ED.

Blunt Aortic Injury (plenary)
Blunt trauma to the aorta can lead not only to catastrophic outcomes but also long-term complications. When should we look for it? How should we manage it when we find it? Who should be involved in the management of these patients? This overview of blunt aortic injury is given by a vascular surgeon with a breadth of experience in dealing with these injuries.

Ethical Issues in Resuscitation (plenary)
Should family presence in the resuscitation room be encouraged? When resuscitation is deemed to be futile but the family doesn’t agree, what do we do next? Is it acceptable to have trainees perform procedures on the newly dead? This thought-provoking session addresses some of the ethical issues related to resuscitation.

EM Controversies (plenary)
Attending physicians and residents from the Department of Emergency Medicine square off in mini-debates on controversial topics in EM! Audience polling will determine what the majority practice is prior to the debate, and if anyone has changed their minds after hearing both sides of the evidence.

Approach to Shock: Cases From Critical Care (workshop)
Building on the concepts covered during the morning plenary session, this workshop will use cases to highlight key points in the recognition and management of shock, using the modalities and resources available in the participants’ practice locations.

Ultrasound in Pediatric EM: How Can It Be Useful? (workshop)
These pediatric cases will introduce the utility of ultrasound in the management of different pediatric emergency conditions, including a review of the evidence and an introduction to technique.

Trauma Controversies (workshop)
Permissive hypotension. Trauma CT scans for blunt injury mechanisms. Airway management in penetrating trauma. This case-based workshop explores current controversies in trauma care, including the relevant evidence, local practice patterns, and questions for future research.

STARS Sim: Respiratory Edition (workshop)
Come join the STARS crew in the Mobile Education Unit (also known as the Sim Bus!) for an interactive simulated medical case. These talented educators will guide you through the simulation process and end with a few key points on the management of respiratory failure. Please note that space is very limited for this session.