Ottawa doctor helps emergency room physicians make tough decisions

A new study shows an assessment tool designed by an Ottawa doctor can help emergency-room physicians make critical decisions about patients who come to hospital with breathing difficulties.
ER doctors are regularly confronted by patients who have trouble breathing because of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), a serious lung disease often associated with smoking. A simple cold or the flu can aggravate the condition and leave patients struggling for air.
Doctors must decide, based