Month: February 2018

Week 5.1 – Non Invasive Ventilation

CPAP and BIPAP can be daunting to commence if you’re not familiar with your emergency department equipment. This week we get started with our NIV machine – the Oxylog 3000. Having a dedicated BIPAP machine is somewhat of a pipe dream for our ED, but on the bright side...

Week 4.1 – Chest Pain Emergencies

This week we explore the variety of chest pain emergencies that present to our Emergency Department via ambulance, dinghy, helicopter or even sometimes by bicycle. Taking a targeted chest pain history and performing an efficient examination is a skill that develops over time. This skill is essential, particularly in...

Professional Burn Out – Am I Enough?

Behind every committed professional is the quietly disconcerting question “Am I enough?” Our profession is full of them; harm avoidant, reward dependent, goal orientated individuals.  However in remote practice, these effective traits can lead to frustration and burn out.  Supporting systems are still in development, recruitment and retention is...

A 40-year-old Male with a Serpiginous Foot Rash

This case has been inspired by events in the Torres Straits and details have been changed to ensure patient anonymity. History A 40-year-old male presented to his primary health care practice during the wet season somewhere in the Torres during the wet season. He had an intensely itchy rash to his...

Week 3.1 – Airway

This week we get acquainted with airways. Airway almost always comes before breathing and circulation in the life support algorithm, for good reason. Being able to assess and manage an airway is a core critical skill for an emergency doctor. The first excellent post to read today relates to...