Jeff Mann's EM Guidemaps

Abstract

Dr Mann's website is a clinically oriented resource targeted at emergency medicine physicians, intensivists, hospitalists and any other physicians who provide acute care. It might also be helpful for physicians in training. The website is plain and uncomplicated, allowing quick and easy access to very practical information regarding various clinical conditions. The guidelines are subdivided into the following: advanced cardiac life support, critical procedures, medical, obstetrical–gynecological, toxicology, trauma, and neuro-ophthalmology. Some examples under medical guidemaps are electrolyte abnormalities, gastrointestinal bleeding, diarrhea, and atrial fibrillation. There are many general topics that would be of interest to critical care physicians that are missing, such as shock, pneumonia, and respiratory failure. Information in each guideline is presented in point form, organized in sections. The hypokalemia guidemap, for example, has sections labeled 'introduction', 'risk factors', 'clinical presentation', and 'medical decision making and treatment'. The appendix includes information on electrocardiogram (ECG) changes and potential causes. The focus of each guidemap is on clinical diagnosis and treatment. Also included on the main page are chest pain tutorials including ECGs, and a 'soap box' section where many various emergency medicine and critical care topics are reviewed to various degrees. Each guidemap comes with its own URL, allowing each map to be saved as a favorite. The website is best viewed with Netscape browser, but we have had no difficulty viewing with Internet Explorer. All of the guidemaps are written by Dr Mann, and he provides a disclaimer that the guidemaps reflect his personal approach to problem solving and should not be regarded as a standard of care. It is not clear that the guidemaps are evidence based because the source of his information is not clear, and no references are provided. Dr Mann will not be adding further guidemaps but plans to revise them if they become outdated. However, no information regarding the date of the most recent update is provided.