Steroids are important and ubiquitous medications, and the side effects of long term use are well known and often reviewed. But what should clinicians know about short term use: are these medications benign? Jay takes listeners through a retrospective cohort study examining adverse events (sepsis, venous thromboembolism, fractures) associated with short term use of oral corticosteroids.

Next, Emily and Sheliza share a special segment covering the 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines on perioperative risk assessment and management for patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

Kieran then rounds off the episode through an article examining prevention of recurrence of C. difficile diarrhea and colitis in severe and non-severe disease. Which drug should be considered first-line therapy: vancomycin or metronidazole? Listen to find out!

Finally, the Good Stuff segment. Jay shares an article on what bullets from gun shot wounds do to the human body. Then, on a more lighthearted note, do you “um” or do you “uh”? Kieran shares an article on sex differences in the use of these words.

Like what you hear? Rate us on iTunes! Chat with us on Twitter @roundstable and tweet at Kieran @kieranlquinn, Sheliza @sheliza_halani, and Emily @emmy_hughes

The Papers

1. Short-Term Steroids: http://www.bmj.com/content/357/bmj.j1415

2. C the difference in prevention! http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2601079

3. CCS Guidelines: http://anesthesiology.queensu.ca/assets/Clinical_Policies/CCS%20Guidelines%20on%20Cardiac%20Risk%20in%20Noncardiac%20Surgery.pdf 

http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/64/22/e77

 

Good Stuff

1. What bullets do to bodies: http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/gun-violence/

2. Um or Uh? https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/08/men-say-uh-and-women-say-um/375729/

Music Credits

The Rounds Table Theme Music by Brendan Quinn, Creative Director and Composer, Vapor RMW