Scholarly Success of Department of Emergency Medicine PoCUS Fellowship Trainees

August 23, 2021

The UBC Department of Emergency Medicine Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) Fellowship is proud to share several recent publications by trainees and alum.

Véronique Dion, Former Fellow

In July, Dr. Véronique Dion published her study “The physical examination is unreliable in determining the location of the distal fibular physis” in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

This collaboration with Dr. Vik Sabhaney from BC Children’s Hospital and Shannon Erdelyi from the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine assessed the accuracy of the physical examination of 20 pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) physicians for locating the distal fibular physis in 71 uninjured children.

Compared to ultrasound (the criterion standard), the PEM physicians were only 34 percent accurate. Given the poor accuracy of the physical exam, this should call into question the clinical utility of the diagnosis of Salter-Harris type 1 fractures of the distal fibula.

Zafrina Poonja, Former Fellow

In August, recent fellowship grad Dr. Zafrina Poonja published a Just the Facts paper in the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine: “Just the facts: ultrasound guidance for arthrocentesis”

This concise review article provides both compelling rationale for using ultrasound guidance when assessing an acute hot swollen joint as well as an explanation of the technique. It is accompanied by an excellent infographic.

Riley Golby, PGY5 Resident

In the August edition of the Annals of Emergency Medicine features an Images in Emergency Medicine piece by Dr. Riley Golby, one of the R5 Fraser emergency medicine residents: “Man with persistent chest pain”.

This brief case report demonstrates a striking image of ventricular septal rupture picked up on cardiac PoCUS in a patient with prolonged myocardial ischemia.

Congratulations to all the authors on their academic successes!

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