Symposia | CAEP26 Conference

Lunch Symposia

Symposia are created for delegates to learn about a specific topic from both Emergency Physicians as well as other physician specialists who are experts in their area.

These presentations highlight recent discoveries and the latest in research developments of relevant topics in Emergency Medicine.

TUESDAY, JUNE 9

12:15 - 13:15

Anaphylaxis 2026: New Evidence, New Device, New Expectations

Anaphylaxis management is changing, with new evidence, emerging therapies, and growing expectations for patient care. This session brings together clinical expertise and patient advocacy to provide an up-to-date, Canadian-focused perspective on recognizing and managing anaphylaxis in acute settings and beyond.

Participants will review the clinical features and diagnostic criteria of anaphylaxis and apply current Canadian guidelines to immediate management, including the role of intranasal epinephrine and emerging evidence on observation periods for biphasic reactions. The session will also explore real-world challenges faced by patients and caregivers after discharge, such as access to epinephrine auto-injectors, confidence in self-management, and the need for coordinated follow-up care.

Led by experts in emergency medicine, pediatric allergy research, and patient advocacy, this session will equip clinicians with practical, evidence-informed strategies to improve outcomes and support patients across the continuum of care.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Recognize the clinical features and diagnostic criteria for anaphylaxis (Medical Expert)
Apply current Canadian guidelines to the immediate management of anaphylaxis, including the role of intranasal epinephrine, and new evidence guiding ED observation duration for biphasic reactions (Medical Expert)
Identify the gaps and challenges patients and caregivers face after discharge, including barriers to epinephrine auto-injector access, confidence in self-management, and the need for coordinated follow-up (Health Advocate)

Faculty:

Jennifer Gerdts is the Executive Director of Food Allergy Canada, a national non-profit charity helping Canadians live safely and confidently with food allergy. The organization focuses on improving the daily quality of life of individuals and families by providing education and support needed to effectively navigate food allergies, building informed and supportive communities, and acting as the national voice on key advocacy issues. Jennifer’s interest in food allergies is driven by the experience of raising twin boys with multiple food allergies. Her prior professional experience was in strategy development, planning and organizational effectiveness for clients in the pharmaceutical, financial, industrial equipment and consumer goods sectors.

Jennifer Gerdts

Moderator

Waleed Alqurashi_Headshot2_edited_edited.jpg

Dr. Alqurashi is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa and a Scientist at the CHEO Research Institute. He completed his pediatric residency at the Montreal Children's Hospital, followed by a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at CHEO. He obtained a master's degree in clinical epidemiology from the University of Ottawa and postgraduate diploma in allergy from Imperial College London, UK.

Dr. Alqurashi has led federally funded research on pediatric allergy and anaphylaxis at, focusing on improving recognition and management of anaphylaxis in emergency settings. He is an anaphylaxis content advisor and editorial committee member for the TREKK network.

Waleed Alqurashi

MD, FRCPC

Speaker

Graham Wilson is an emergency physician in Vancouver, Canada. He completed medical school at Dalhousie University and the five-year emergency medicine residency program accredited by the RCPSC in Ottawa. He now works as a staff physician at Vancouver General Hospital, providing acute care in a high-volume tertiary emergency department.

Graham Wilson

MD, FRCPC

Speaker

MONDAY, JUNE 8

12:15 - 13:15

Acute TBI in the ED: Moving Beyond a Simple Classification to a More Personalized Approach

The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), now over 50 years old, remains a cornerstone of traumatic brain injury (TBI) assessment, yet growing evidence highlights its limitations, particularly in the evaluation of “mild” TBI. Across Canada and globally, significant variation persists in how TBI is defined, investigated, and managed in the emergency department, often relying on broad categorizations that fail to reflect patients’ lived experiences or clinical complexity.

In this session, Dr. Marcel Emond and Dr. Geoff Manley will challenge traditional frameworks and explore a more nuanced, patient-centred approach to TBI care. Focusing on mild TBI, the most common presentation in the ED, participants will review evolving definitions and consider how imaging and emerging biomarkers can inform more individualized care pathways.

Through practical, evidence-informed discussion, this session will highlight how a shift beyond simplistic classifications may improve diagnostic precision, guide management decisions, and ultimately enhance both patient outcomes and system efficiency.

Learning Objectives:

At this end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Apply a nuanced framework for the classification of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that extends beyond traditional severity categories (Medical Expert)

2. Evaluate key clinical, diagnostic, and contextual factors that influence decision-making in the assessment and management of TBI (Medical Expert)

3. Develop individualized care pathways for patients with TBI by integrating emerging diagnostic modalities, including biomarkers and advanced imaging (Medical Expert)

Faculty:

Dr. Hrymak is the Director of Quality Improvement and Patient Safety and Standards for the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Critical Care Outcome Improvement Team Director. Dr. Hrymak works in Winnipeg at HSC Emergency Department, the Virtual Emergency Care and Transfer Resource Service (VECTRS), in Critical Care, and as an Organ Donation Physician.

Carmen Hrymak

MD, FRCPC

Moderator

Marcel Émond is a full professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine at Université Laval’s Faculty of Medicine. He has been practicing emergency medicine at the Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus since 2004. Dr. Émond is the first French-speaking clinician-scientist in Quebec to complete the residency and master’s programs in clinical research.

Dr. Émond, recognized by the Fonds de recherche Québec-Santé, primarily works at the CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre. He’s a member of the Population Health and Best Practices in Health (SPPOS) axis there. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Association des médecins d’urgence du Québec (AMUQ) as Scientific Director of their annual conference and represents RIUS Université Laval to facilitate information exchange within the professional learned society.

Marcel Emond

MD, M.Sc., CCFP(EM), FRCP

Speaker

Geoffrey T. Manley, MD, PhD is the Chief of Neurosurgery at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and is Professor and Vice Chairman of Neurosurgery at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Manley is an internationally recognized expert in neurotrauma. In addition to a robust clinical practice at ZSFG, San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area’s level 1 trauma center, he coordinates and leads national and international clinical research efforts in the study of the short- and long-term effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Geoffrey Manley

MD, PhD

Speaker