CMAJ Podcasts

Prone positioning has been widely adopted and is considered standard of care for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). But how beneficial is prone positioning for patients with COVID-19 who are awake and not intubated? In this podcast, Dr. Kevin Venus talks about evidence, lung physiology and observational studies regarding prone positioning. Dr. Kevin Venus is general internis...

Dr. Caroline Quach and Dr. Shainoor Ismail discuss guidance on identifying priority populations for COVID-19 immunization. It's likely that when Canada does get a vaccine, it will not be possible to immunize all Canadians at once. We therefore need to have a plan in place for prioritization within our population. Dr. Quach and Dr. Ismail are two of the authors of an evidence-based guideline p...

In this narrative, a musician, a nurse and a doctor come together to provide a virtual bedside music concert for some of their sickest patients with COVID-19.The article is read by its authors. First, Melanie Ambler, the musician and aspiring physician, then Laura Wodecki, nurse manager at Rhode Island Hospital, and ending with Dr. Timothy Amass, intensive care physician in Denver, Colorado. They...

The spread of misinformation during epidemics is not a new phenomenon. But the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly the largest epidemic in recent times and its intersection with the internet and social media have amplified a modern infodemic of misinformation. In this podcast, history professor Nancy Tomes unpacks this modern infodemic and shares her thoughts on the role of health care providers in man...

Dr. Maxim Ben-Yakov and Dr. Maala Bhatt discuss emergency procedural sedation in children. They cover safety, protocol, sedative agents, recommendations around fasting for this emergency procedure and more. Dr. Maala Bhatt is an emergency physician and the director of emergency research at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa and also associate professor at the University of Ottawa...

Many workplaces are essential for our health care, our supply chains, or the economy and are under immense pressure to stay open. The work bubble is one strategy that can be used to open businesses while limiting the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks. In this podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Shaw and Ms. Hayley Wickenheiser explain the work bubble concept. They also describe how a large Canadian company, Bombardier,...

With so much talk about COVID-19 and frequent updates to protocols and guidelines, is COVID-19 affecting the way physicians diagnose? In this podcast, two physicians describe how they misdiagnosed a patient back in April of this year. The patient presented with classic COVID-19 symptoms, but her diagnosis turned out to be something entirely different. And it took the physicians quite a lot of time...

Dr. Tara Kiran and Dr. Michelle Cohen share their analysis of the gender pay gap as it relates specifically to physicians. They discuss their personal experiences as well as current data showing that, in many medical specialties, men are still getting paid more than women for roughly equivalent work. Dr. Michelle Cohen is a family doctor in Brighton, Ontario and is assistant professor in the depar...

Dr. Ellen Warner and Dr. Karen Glass discuss different options for fertility preservation for young women who must undergo breast cancer treatment. They also discuss the importance of early referral to fertility preservation counselling, an option that is often not presented to women until it's too late. Dr. Ellen Warner is a medical oncologist and director of PYNK: Breast Cancer Program for...

La gestion du poids doit valider le vécu des patients, aller au-delà des approches simplistes qui consistent à leur conseiller de « manger moins et de bouger plus » et s’attaquer aux racines profondes de l’obésité. Les Dres Marie-France Langlois et Angela Alberga expliquent les recommandations clé des nouvelles lignes directrices sur l'obésité chez l'adulte. Elles sont interviewées par D...

In this podcast, Dr. Patrick Lawler and Dr. Lucas Godoy discuss the evidence around endothelial injury related to SARS-CoV-2 cellular invasion. In some cases, thrombosis is a prominent clinical feature of COVID-19 that may lead to organ failure, multi system injury or death. Dr. Lawler is a cardiologist at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre in Toronto and a clinician-scientist at the Toronto General Ho...

Dr. Sean Wharton and Dr. David Lau discuss a newly published clinical practice guideline on obesity management. They are joined by Lisa Schaffer, who talks about her experience as a Canadian living with obesity. They discuss the complex interplay of factors that can lead to obesity, such as genetics, metabolic, behavioural, psychological and environmental factors. They also talk about stigma and i...

In this podcast, Dr. Nathan Stall and Dr. Andrew Costa discuss the results of their research on the risk of outbreaks and deaths from COVID-19 in long-term care homes in Ontario by for-profit or not-for-profit status. Dr. Nathan Stall is a geriatrician at Sinai Health System and a research fellow at Women's College Research Institute. He is also completing a PhD in clinical epidemiology and h...

Acute aortic syndrome is a life-threatening emergency. It is difficult to diagnose and is often missed in the emergency department, but it’s a syndrome that must be on a physician’s radar. Dr. Robert Ohle discusses how to identify acute aortic syndrome and how to diagnose it. Dr. Ohle is one of the authors of a clinical practice guideline on the topic. He is an emergency medicine physician and res...

In this podcast, Dr. Clare Pain and Dr. Ruth Lanius draw from their expertise in the fields of trauma and conflict to discuss how this pandemic can affect mental health and those who suffered from childhood traumas. They also talk about how this pandemic compares to other public health disasters, conflict, war or unrest. Dr. Clare Pain is a psychiatrist and associate professor at the University of...

Dr Stéphane Groulx explique les recommandations des lignes directrices sur le dépistage de l'adénocarcinome oesophagien chez les patients atteints de reflux gastro-œsophagien chronique. Dr Groulx est médecin de famille, a été membre du Groupe d’étude canadien sur les soins de santé préventifs pendant 4 ans et a contribué à de nombreuse lignes directrices. Il était le président du groupe de tr...

Dr. Scott Klarenbach shares the key messages out of a new clinical practice guideline on screening for esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease. Dr. Klarenbach is a professor in the Department of Medicine, and Assistant Dean, Health Outcomes at the University of Alberta. He is currently Chair of the Alberta Expert Committee on Drug Evaluation and Therapeut...

With immunotherapy, a cancer patient's immune system is mobilized to attack cancer cells. It's a promising cancer therapy, but it's not without risks and possible complications. In this podcast, Drs. Megan Himmel, Sam Saibil, and Alex Saltman discuss how immune checkpoint inhibitors work, what cancers they work best for, and what to keep in mind when considering this therapy. Dr. Me...

In this podcast, Prof. Esyllt Jones discusses the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic, how it exposed social inequalities and racism, how it relates to our current COVID-19 global pandemic and how it's connected to the social unrest happening in the United States. Prof. Esyllt Jones is a professor of history at the University of Manitoba and part-time faculty member at the department of community he...

Planned surgeries have virtually ground to a halt owing to service closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic response. But the backlog of elective and non-emergency surgeries is building and at some point, they will have to resume. The question is how? Dr. David Urbach argues that a combined team-based and single-entry approach could help address the problem. He says the pandemic might be an oppor...

Le Dr François Lamontagne explique les recommandations des lignes directrices sur le traitement de la COVID-19. Le guide de pratique est divisé en trois sections : les corticostéroïdes, le plasma de convalescents, et les médicaments antiviraux. Il est interviewé par le Dr Luc Lanthier. Le Dr François Lamontagne est spécialiste en médecine interne générale et en soins intensifs au CIUSSS de l'...

Dr. Gordon Guyatt discusses available evidence for many of the treatments being trialed in patients with COVID-19. He and his co-authors developed a clinical practice guideline that systematically reviewed and critically appraised direct and indirect evidence. Dr. Guyatt is a specialist in internal medicine and clinical epidemiologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He is also an offi...

Dr. Elissa Abrams talks about asthma and COVID-19: what asthma patients should keep in mind, how viruses interact with asthma, whether patients should be using a nebulizer, and how asthma exacerbations should be treated. Dr. Elissa Abrams is a pediatric allergist immunologist in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The practice article she co-authored is published in CMAJ: www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.20061...

Dr. Michael Slawnych discusses how to manage dyspnea, or breathlessness, at the end of life. He says all physicians should be prepared to manage dyspnea, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. He goes over details such as medications, swallowing difficulties and agitation. Dr. Michael Slawnych is a cardiologist and a palliative care physician at Libin Cardiovascular Institute in Calgary, Alberta...

Paul Norman and Dr. Christopher Patey talk about their approach to redesigning the emergency department of the rural hospital in Carbonear, Newfoundland, to face the COVID-19 pandemic. They hope it can serve as a potential model for others to follow. Dr. Christopher Patey is a family physician and Paul Normal is a nurse. They both work in the emergency department of Carbonear General Hospital in N...