Shashwat Desai
Dr. Shashwat (Shash) Desai is a PGY-5 emergency medicine resident at Dalhousie University. He obtained his MD from the University of Alberta before moving to Halifax to pursue postgraduate medical training at Dalhousie. Shash has a keen interest in pediatric emergency medicine and is currently completing his fellowship at IWK. He enjoys working with learners during shifts and teaching simulations. Outside of work, Shash loves playing board games, performing Indian folk dances, and cooking for his friends and family.
Research Summary
Shash’s research project is a systemic review titled, “Early addition of phenobarbital in management of moderate to severe alcohol withdrawal.” His research supervisor is Dr. Jolene Cook. He is currently in the process of analyzing data and writing the manuscript for his research. Shash is also working on a quality improvement project with Dr. Katie Gardener to improve asthma care at IWK. He is collecting and analyzing data to improve and update the department’s sustainable asthma action care plan.
Simon Huang
Dr. Simon Huang is a PGY-5 emergency medicine resident at Dalhousie University. He received his medical education in Saskatchewan and then moved to the Maritimes for residency. His clinical interests include critical care and toxicology. Outside of medicine, he enjoys going to the gym and learning to play the guitar. After finishing residency at Dalhousie, Simon will complete a critical care fellowship at the University of Ottawa.
Research Summary
Simon’s project is titled “Sepsis in Nova Scotia ICUs: Description of characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted to ICUs in NS with sepsis, and determination of variables associated with outcomes.” with Dr. Osama Loubani as the supervising investigator. Simon is currently in the process of interpreting the data and preparing a manuscript for publication.
Andrea Sadoway
Dr. Andrea Sadoway is a staff pediatric emergency physician at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She obtained her MD from the University of Saskatchewan and completed her pediatric residency and pediatric emergency medicine fellowship at Dalhousie University.
Research Summary
Andrea’s research study, “Epidemiology and predictors of mortality among pediatric major trauma patients in Nova Scotia: a 17-year retrospective analysis” with Dr. Jason Emsley as the supervising investigator. The study was a retrospective cohort analysis of pediatric major trauma patients who were injured in Nova Scotia between April 2001 and March 2018. The study analyzed the epidemiology of pediatric major trauma in Nova Scotia using provincial population-based data collected from the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry, including medical examiner data. The study also compared the characteristics of survivors and non-survivors, assessing for predictors of mortality using logistic regression. The study found that patients who had greater injury severity and those residing in rural areas were more likely to die from their injuries, which is a significant public health issue. The findings of the study will guide stakeholders in health care and government and will be used to inform future injury prevention efforts across the province, especially in rural areas. The research project has been accepted for publication in the journal Injury and is currently pending print. (DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2024.111484)
Renée Kinden
Dr. Renée Kinden is a PGY-3 EM-FRCPC resident who was born and raised in New Brunswick. Renée graduated from Dalhousie Medicine in New Brunswick after obtaining her MSc in Neuroscience at the University of Ottawa. She is currently a PGY-3 in the EM-FRCPC residency program in Halifax, NS. Renée’s research interests include pediatrics, palliative care, and social medicine.
Research Summary
Renée has completed her research project, “Pre-hospital mortality among pediatric trauma patients in Nova Scotia” with Dr. Jason Emsley as the supervising investigator, published in CJEM (January 2024; DOI: 10.1007/s43678-023-00636-6). There is limited data available on the mortality rate of children who experience trauma before they arrive at the hospital in Canada. Only the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry, which collects data from the Medical Examiner Service, is currently maintaining a trauma database in the province. This database helped researchers examine the characteristics of children who die as a result of trauma before reaching the hospital and those who die after being admitted. A study was conducted on major pediatric traumas recorded in the Nova Scotia Trauma Registry from April 1, 2001, to March 31, 2018. The study found that more than 10% of the children who experienced major trauma died before reaching the hospital. Most of these deaths occurred in rural areas and were caused by motor vehicle collisions. Compared to those who died in the hospital, the children who died before reaching the hospital were older, had more severe injuries, and were more likely to have intentionally hurt themselves. These findings highlight the importance of geographic factors and injury patterns in emergency care. It emphasizes the need for better injury prevention programs, mental health support, and critical care services to be provided at the scene of the accident by emergency physicians and EMS systems.
Iain McPhee
Dr. Iain McPhee is an R2 in the Integrated FM/EM program in Saint John, New Brunswick. Originally from Pickering, Ontario, Iain used to play as a defense hockey player in the OHL, ECHL, and CHL. Iain completed a Master’s degree in Cardiovascular Physiology at Queen’s University before graduating from McGill University’s Medicine program in 2022.
Research Summary
Iain’s research study is titled “Assessment of sedative induction agent on post-intubation hypotension in the emergency department. A retrospective review of the Emergency Medicine – AirWAy REgistry (EM- AWARE)” with Dr. Jay Mekwan as the supervising investigator. This research study analyzed ED intubation data collected between 2015 and 2020 from the EM-AWARE registry, a retrospective, observational and self-reported dataset utilized in the Saint John Regional Hospital in New Brunswick. The study included adult (18+) patients with pre-intubation systolic blood pressure >100mmHg who had received either ketamine or etomidate before rapid sequence intubation (RSI). The primary outcome is to examine pre-intubation sedative selection and dosage and determine PIH’s prevalence.