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Scientist, Clinical Epidemiology, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
Active Attending, Emergency Department, The Ottawa Hospital
Associate Editor, Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Emergency Medicine
Cardiac Arrest
Prehospital
Airway Management
Clinical Trial Design
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
I am currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, and an Scientist of the Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. I recently completed a research fellowship and a Master of Science in Epidemiology under the supervision of Drs. George Wells, and Ian Stiell, a CIHR Distinguished Investigator. My master's thesis on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation - Out-of-hospital Cardiac Arrest was awarded first prize by the Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa. My thesis presentation subsequently received a Gold Medal Award at the National CIHR poster competition held in Winnipeg, 2003. I am a member of the most active Emergency Medicine Research Team in Canada, I sit on several national and regional committees pertaining to Emergency Medicine research, and I am an Associate Editor for the Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine. My major research initiatives have been in two main areas within the field of emergency health services: a) cardiac arrest resuscitation, and b) traumatology.
1) Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation
Cardiovascular disease and cardiac arrest are the number one cause of mortality in Canada. Over the past four years I have designed and led a number of projects as part of a research program to improve the care and survival of cardiac arrest victims.
a) Cardiac Arrest Epidemiology in Canada
I was commissioned by the Canadian Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Team to lead a report on cardiac arrest care and emergency medical services in Canada (Can J Cardiol, 2004). This project, supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, was the first of its kind in Canada. It involved leadership in recruiting the collaboration of other national experts in the field of cardiac arrest in Canada. The results of this project have recently been highlighted in a series of journal articles, radio, and television interviews with national media.
b) Cardiac Arrest Location
This innovative project determined the precise location of over 7,700 cardiac arrest victims (Acad Emerg Med, 2003:Abstract). Its results highlighted the need for more citizen CPR in private residences (where 85% of cardiac arrests occur), and the potentially limited impact of public access defibrillation programs on overall survival from cardiac arrest.
c) Other Work on Cardiac Arrest
Several projects are in progress and were presented in abstract form. A systematic review on the determinants of citizen CPR (Can J Emerg Med, 2003), the determination of sample size parameters for community intervention cluster trials in cardiac arrest (Acad Emerg Med, 2003), a location-specific utility measure to guide the distribution of public access defibrillation programs (Acad Emerg Med, 2003), and a mathematical model predicting the potential impact of various community bystander CPR rates on overall survival from cardiac arrest (Acad Emerg Med, 2003). This last project received an award for best presentation by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (USA).
2) Traumatology
Similarly to cardiac arrest victims, many trauma victims are critically ill, and receive their initial care from prehospital paramedical personnel and emergency physicians.
a) Out-of-hospital Management of Cervical-Spine Injuries
Over 185,000 trauma victims are boarded, collared, and brought to a Canadian ED each year, despite only 1% of them having a spinal injury. This ongoing multicenter project evaluates the ability of paramedics to apply the Canadian C-Spine Rule, hence limiting the number of patients requiring immobilization, their discomfort, and the loss of time at the scene of the accident before transportation.
b) Acute compartment syndrome
I have published two landmark papers on this limb threatening condition. The first quantified delays in the condition's diagnosis (Can J Emerg Med, 2001); the second debunked the myth that muscle can tolerate up to six hours of ischemia before necrosis occurs (Can J Emerg Med, 2004).
c) Rapid Sequence Induction of Head Injury Victims
Intravenous lidocaine is routinely administered to head injury victims before intubation. This systematic review and meta-analysis exposed the lack of evidence, and the potential harm of that practice (Acad Emerg Med, 2002:Abstract). This project received international attention.
Most Recent Publications (provided by The Ottawa Hospital Library database)
Vaillancourt C;Charette M;Stiell IG;Phillips KR;Wells GA;, (2010 Mar), Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest surveillance in Canada: a survey of national resources, CJEM, Vol.12, Issue 2, 119-127 -> view abstract
Cudnik MT;Schmicker RH;Vaillancourt C;Newgard CD;Christenson JM;Davis DP;Lowe RA;, (2010 Jan 30), A geospatial assessment of transport distance and survival to discharge in out of hospital cardiac arrest patients: Implications for resuscitation centers, Resuscitation, -> view abstract
Christenson J;Andrusiek D;Everson-Stewart S;Kudenchuk P;Hostler D;Powell J;Callaway CW;Bishop D;Vaillancourt C;Davis D;Aufderheide TP;Idris A;Stouffer JA;Stiell I;Berg R;, (2009 Sep 14), Chest Compression Fraction Determines Survival in Patients With Out-of-Hospital Ventricular Fibrillation, Circulation, Vol.120, Issue 13, 1241-1247 -> view abstract
Wong WB;Edgar G;Liddy C;Vaillancourt C;, (2009 Nov), Can after-hours family medicine clinics represent an alternative to emergency departments? Survey of ambulatory patients seeking after-hours care, Can Fam Physician, Vol.55, Issue 11, 1106-1107 -> view abstract
Vaillancourt C;Stiell IG;Beaudoin T;Maloney J;Anton AR;Bradford P;Cain E;Travers A;Stempien M;Lees M;Munkley D;Battram E;Banek J;Wells GA;, (2009 Apr 23), The Out-of-Hospital Validation of the Canadian C-Spine Rule by Paramedics, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Vol.54, Issue 5, 663-671 -> view abstract
Vaillancourt C;Jensen JL;Grimshaw J;Brehaut JC;Charette M;Kasaboski A;Osmond M;Wells GA;Stiell IG;, (2009), A survey of factors associated with the successful recognition of agonal breathing and cardiac arrest by 9-1-1 call takers: design and methodology, BMC Emerg Med, Vol.9, 14 -> view abstract
Vaillancourt C;Lui A;De Maio V;Wells GA;Stiell IG;, (2008 Oct 23), Socioeconomic status influences bystander CPR and survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims, Resuscitation, Vol.79, Issue 3, 417-423 -> view abstract
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