Dr Ogilvie Thom
Country
Australia
Affiliations
Surf Life Saving Australia (Life Member)
Surf Life Saving Queensland
Biography
A/Prof Ogilvie Thom is an experienced Emergency Physician living and working in Brisbane, Australia. He is a patrolling lifesaver at Mooloolaba Surf Life Saving Club and is a member of the SLSA Medical Advisory Group and was previously the State Medical Advisor for Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ). He is currently Senior Research Fellow, Surf Life Saving Australia.
As well as a being a full time Emergency Physician, he is also a clinical researcher with over 50 peer reviewed publications. His research has focused on drowning in the last five years, after being asked to present on the treatment of drowning at a SLSQ Conference and being surprised with the size of the evidence gaps. (Link to some of his research papers Publications by: Ogilvie Thom).
While maintaining a clinical focus aimed at improving the care of drowning patients in the Emergency Department with regards to ventilatory management and cervical spine injuries, Ogilvie’s passion for drowning prevention through surf lifesaving has resulted in papers examining risk factors for cervical spine injuries and the need for rescue at wave-dominated beaches in Queensland. Results of his published papers have led directly to change of practice at SLSQ.
Ogilvie is also a member of the Non-Fatal Drowning Working Group of Royal Life Saving Society Australia, a participant in the South-East Queensland Water Safety Strategy and the Australia-India Drowning Prevention Technical Workshop, and a contributor to the recent ILCOR review of Basic Life Support for Drowning, where he focused on oxygen therapy.