The Skeptics Guide to Emergency Medicine

Date: October 10, 2025Guest Skeptic: Dr. Sergey Motov is an Emergency Physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine, Maimonides Medical Center in New York City. He is also one of the world’s leading researchers on pain management in the emergency department. Case: A 37-year-old man presents to the emergency department (ED) with severe right-sided flank pain. The pain started about eight hours...

Date: October 3, 2025Reference: Doheim et al. Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials on IV Thrombolysis in Patients With Minor Acute Ischemic Stroke. Neurology 2025Guest Skeptic: Dr. Casey Parker is a Rural Generalist, Evidence-based medicine enthusiast and Ultrasound Nerd.This episode was recorded live, in beautiful Broome, Australia, at the Spring Seminar on Emergency Medicine (SSEM...

Reference: George S, et al. Effectiveness of nasal high-flow oxygen during apnoea on hypoxaemia and intubation success in paediatric emergency and ICU settings: a randomised, controlled, open-label trial. Lancet Respir Med. March 2025Date: July 10, 2025Guest Skeptic: Dr. Spyridon Karageorgos is a Pediatric Chief Resident at Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece and faculty of the...

Date: September 18, 2025Guest Skeptic: Dr. Neil Dasgupta is an Emergency Medicine (EM) physician and emergency department (ED) intensivist from Long Island, NY. He is the Vice Chair of the ED and Program Director of the EM residency program at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, NY. Reference: Doupnik et al. Impact of telemental health on suicide prevention care in U.S. emergency...

Date: Sept 16, 2025Reference: Prada et al. Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology. Environ Health. August 2025Guest Skeptic: Dr. Andrew Martin is an emergency physician practicing in Jacksonville, Florida. Case: A 27-year-old at 24 weeks’ gestation presents to the emergency department (ED) with fever (38.6 °C),...

Date: August 12, 2025.This is an SGEM Xtra, and today, we’re putting on our conference lanyards and boarding passes to talk about one of the most exciting events in the global EM calendar, IncrEMentuM 2026.For those who did not attend IncrEMentuM 2025, it set the bar incredibly high. From the moment delegates walked into the venue in Murcia, Spain, there was a buzz that felt like the early days...

Date: August 12, 2025Article: FDA Approved and Ineffective by Jeanne Lenzer and Shannon Brownlee. June 5, 2025. The Lever.Jeanne LenzerGuest Skeptic: Jeanne Lenzer is a long-time medical investigative journalist and returning SGEM guest. Her previous work, including the book The Danger Within Us, explored how conflicts of interest and weak evidence can endanger patient care. In this new project...

Reference: Jessen et al. Pharmacological interventions for the acute treatment of hyperkalaemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Resuscitation 2025Date: August 6, 2025Guest Skeptic: William Toon is a paramedic who, this past May achieved over 50 years of continuous EMS certification. His professional path has taken him from front-line paramedic to national presenter, expert witness, flight...

Date: August 11, 2025Dr. Gillian SchmitzGuest Skeptic: Dr. Gillian Schmitz is a board-certified Emergency Physician practicing at The Naval Medical Center in San Diego. She is also a former President of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).This SGEM Xtra is inspired by the 1992 film A League of Their Own. Unlike our previous pop culture references like Buffy the Vampire Slayer,...

Reference: Otterness et al. The Use of TENS for the Treatment of Back Pain in the Emergency Department: A Randomized Controlled Trial. AEM Aug 2025Date: August 22, 2025Guest Skeptic: Dr. Lauren Westafer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Baystate. She is the co-founder of FOAMcast and a researcher in pulmonary...