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REBEL Cast

REBEL Cast

By: Salim R. Rezaie MD | Mark Ramzy DO | Marco Propersi DO
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About this listen

 REBEL EM stands for Rational Evidence Based Evaluation of Literature in Emergency Medicine. REBEL Cast brings REBEL EM posts to life in audio form. We open with a clinical scenario and a focused clinical question, then critically appraise the study—key results, strengths, limitations, and what it means at the bedside. Every episode ends with actionable take-home points. Explore more at rebelem.com Have a paper we should review? Email rebelemteam@gmail.com. Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • REBEL MIND Ep4 - Applying Performance Science In and Out of the Emergency Department

    REBEL MIND Ep4 - Applying Performance Science In and Out of the Emergency Department
    Feb 18 2026
    📌 Key Points 🔍 Understanding the Why: The significance of understanding underlying causes, beyond initial diagnoses, in both sports and emergency medicine is explored. ⏱️ Recovery Focus: Emphasizing the importance of recovery time and small daily choices in optimizing performance for both athletes and emergency physicians. 📊 Data-Driven Insights: The Arena Labs approach uses personalized data, leveraging wearable technology and expert coaching to tackle burnout and enhance well-being. 🤝 Personalization and Partnership: Arena Labs' collaboration with emergency clinicians sheds light on personalized performance solutions rooted in scientific evidence. 📝 Introduction Welcome back to REBEL MIND, where MIND stands for Mastering Internal Negativity during Difficulty. Here we sharpen the person behind the practitioner by focusing on things that improve our performance, optimizing team dynamics and the human behavior that embodies the hidden curriculum of medicine. In this episode, we're excited to continue collaboration with Arena Labs, where host Dr. Mark Ramzy interviews Allyn Abadie, Arena Labs' Principal Scientist on how we can apply performance science in and out of the emergency department. Arena Labs is helping us measure healthcare performance through innovative programs designed to combat burnout and enhance personal wellness using data-driven strategies. 🔙Previously Covered on REBEL MIND: Performance Under Pressure – What Medicine Can Learn from Elite Teams The Power of Performance Coaching in Medicine Rest Is Not Sleep: The Seven Dimensions of True Recovery 🤔Cognitive Question How can emergency department clinicians utilize techniques inspired by athletic performance to better manage stress, prevent burnout, and optimize recovery? 💭 Why This is Important Burnout among healthcare workers is a growing concern, especially in such high-pressure environments as emergency and intensive care units. The collaboration with Arena Labs brings forth a vital focus on using data and coaching to build resilience among medical professionals. 🏥How This Applies to the Emergency Department or ICU? Emergency medicine, akin to high-performance sports, demands intense energy and quick decision-making under pressure, often leading to stress and burnout. By applying principles from athletic recovery and personalized data tracking, clinicians can moderate their performance intensity, enhance their recovery even in short breaks, and prevent long-term burnout. This approach allows emergency physicians to maintain endurance and clarity, improving patient care and team dynamics. ⏩ Things You Can Do on Your Next Shift Measure and Reflect: Start tracking your vital health metrics like heart rate with wearable sensors. Reflect on how daily activities impact these measurements to identify stress patterns.Implement Quick Recovery Techniques: Use short, actionable exercises such as deep breathing or the de-stress breath method between patient encounters to moderate stress levels.Invest in Self-Care: Dedicate brief time slots for essential self-care activities like hydration or quick reflection journaling, aiming to enhance mental resilience throughout your shift.Utilize Coaching Tools: Engage with personalized coaching apps or resources that offer science-backed recovery strategies tailored to your personal and professional needs. 👀 Where to Learn More Intrigued by the possibilities this partnership offers? You can explore more by visiting Arena Labs' website here. Also, check out the comprehensive coaching program available, designed specifically for healthcare providers looking to enhance their well-being and performance. 🚨 Clinical Bottom Line In an era where burnout is pervasive, our collaboration with Arena Labs offers a beacon of hope for healthcare workers. By leveraging cutting-edge data insights and practical coaching, this partnership aims to redefine healthcare wellness, fostering a sustainable, resilient workforce that's equipped to navigate the pressures of modern medicine. Join us in this journey towards enhanced well-being and workforce empowerment, ensuring that those who care for us are also cared for.
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    34 mins
  • REBEL Core Cast 150.0: Emergency Medicine Consults: How to Call a Consult + Handle Pushback

    REBEL Core Cast 150.0: Emergency Medicine Consults: How to Call a Consult + Handle Pushback
    Feb 12 2026

    In this episode of Rebel Core Content, Swami breaks down one of the most important (and most underrated) skills in emergency medicine: how to give a clean, effective consult—and what to do when you get pushback. Learn a simple 4-step framework to structure every consult (introduce yourself, lead with the ask, give a focused summary, and close the loop), plus ready-to-use scripts for common scenarios. We also cover how to respond to refusals, keep conversations professional, and escalate appropriately when patient safety or disposition is at risk.
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    8 mins
  • REBEL CAST: The RSI Trial – Ketamine vs Etomidate in Rapid Sequence Intubation

    REBEL CAST: The RSI Trial – Ketamine vs Etomidate in Rapid Sequence Intubation
    Feb 8 2026

    REBEL Cast: The RSI Trial — Ketamine vs Etomidate in Critically Ill Adults

    In this episode, we break down the 2025 NEJM RSI trial comparing ketamine and etomidate for tracheal intubation in critically ill adults (Casey et al., PMID: 41369227).

    This multicenter randomized trial enrolled 2,365 patients across ED and ICU settings and asked a clinically important question: does ketamine improve 28-day mortality compared with etomidate?

    What we cover:

    • Primary outcome: no statistically significant difference in 28-day mortality

    • Secondary signal: higher "cardiovascular collapse" with ketamine, largely driven by new/increased vasopressor use, not clear increases in arrest or profound hypotension

    • Trial strengths: strong randomization, high protocol adherence, excellent follow-up

    • Trial limitations: no blinding, equipoise-only enrollment, trauma exclusion, ketamine dose strategy (actual body weight; commonly higher than many bedside practices)

    Clinical Bottom Line:

    This trial does not support abandoning ketamine for RSI.

    Etomidate remains a strong first-line option, particularly in patients at high risk of peri-intubation hemodynamic decompensation.

    At the same time, a small potentially meaningful mortality difference in favor of ketamine remains possible and would require a larger study to confirm.

    Read the full post on REBEL EM:

    "The RSI Trial: Ketamine vs Etomidate in Rapid Sequence Intubation"
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    30 mins
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