• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.87-98
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• 2017

Purpose: This study investigated the use of infection management and the frequency of emergency equipment sterilization by emergency rescue crews to provide basic guidelines and suggestions for infection control. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 160 emergency medical technician rescue crews in J area from May 7 to May 22 in 2015. The questionnaire consisted of 95 items, including the general characteristics of the subjects (8 items), the use of emergency equipment (33 items), the frequency of facility sterilization (33 items), infection control (12 items), vaccination (4 items), and the use of personal protective equipment (5 items). Results: In all, 97.3% of respondents were aware of the "Guidelines of Infection management for Rescue Operators' and 90.9% received training on infection control. A total of 72.7% and 47.3% of rescue centers were equipped with disinfection facilities and laundry rooms, respectively. The average frequency of sterilization was $3.17{\pm}0.75$, which significantly differed for teams with more clinical experience (p=.050) and teams with three members (p=.030). The average score for individual protective equipment supplies was $1.95{\pm}0.66$. Conclusion: For proper infection management of emergency equipment, our results suggest that the number of crew members should be increased for each ambulance, protective equipment and rescue products should be supplied, and the number of facilities for sterilization and laundry at rescue centers should be doubled.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.179-187
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• 2019

This study performed a survey on the need for an automobile accident-simulation training program for 60 emergency workers and nine emergency medical professors. The results showed that the need for cervical spine immobilization use was highest (76.8%) in first-aid requiring simulation training, and the need for head injury was highest (75.4%) in the scenario requiring simulation training. Based on the 43-month working experience of emergency workers, the uses of pneumatic anti-shock garment, KED, and the need for rapid extrication were significantly different between the two groups (p=0.01, p=0.05). In addition, the scenario showed statistically significant differences in the need for face, abdomen, and other injuries in both group (p=0.05, p=0.04, p=0.03). The needs of emergency workers and emergency medical professors for an automobile accident simulation-training program were high, and the development of a simulation program is needed.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.5893-5900
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• 2012

It is very critical to promptly maintain airway of cardiac arrest cases or serious traumatic cases. The purpose of this study is to compare intubation rate, successful rate and pre-/post-education self-confidence between laryngeal tube (LTS) and proseal laryngeal mask (PLMA), so that it may contribute to improving the ability of 119 emergency team - a pivotal role in pre-hospitalization process - to carry out advanced airway management. In order to achieve the purpose, total 60 paramedics (Class I) who worked for incumbent 119 emergency team were asked to join a practical experiment and were also divided into two groups (LTS group: 30 people, PLMA group: 30 people). In details, they were all asked to take 3 sessions of practice (5 minutes per session) using dummy model to quantitatively measure the time and success/failure of intubation and the change of their self-confidence. As a result, it was found that there were statistically significant differences in the time of intubation between LTS and PLMA group (p=.000), but there was no significant difference in the rate of successful intubation between these two groups, and self-confidence of two groups tended to significantly increase after experiment (p=.000). Conclusively, if it is necessary to promptly apply intubation to traumatic cases with immobilized cervical vertebral and lingual edema, LTS can be useful as an effective means of intubation. And it is expected that continuing intubation training using LTS will improve the ability of emergency team to perform advanced airway management for traumatic cases.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.108-118
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• 2011

In this study, strengths related with fire investigation of fire stations are analyzed and methods for the capacity building of their fire cause investigation are suggested. The methods for capacity building of fire cause investigation suggested are focused on using potential and strengths of current fire fighting and enhancing internal capacity rather than reinforcing investigation personnel, organization, and equipment and ensuring investigation power. The methods suggested in this study are as follows. 1) Because fire investigation results are the basis of fire administration, fire marshals should change their awareness of the need of fire investigation; 2) A fire investigation system should be established to ensure statements of people concerned systematically; 3) A substantial system of fire cause investigation should be established to investigate fire scenes more than twice; 4) A substantial system of fire cause investigation should be established to use such materials as CCTV; 5) Extinguishing should be made in consideration of fire cause investigation and a scene preservation system after extinguishing should be established; 6) A fire investigation system should be established in connection with 119 first-aid and rescue teams and 7) Steps to raise the morale of fire investigation staff should be taken.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.35-48
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the rationality for and countermeasures against the use of prehospital patient restraint (PPR) techniques in efforts to limit violent behavior toward 119 emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Methods: Previous countermeasures to limit violent behavior toward 119 EMTs and medical personnel were focused on strict reactive and passive proactive responses. However, those in support of the countermeasures do not believe that violent and criminal behavior can be limited or extinguished by strengthening the punishment unconditionally. Results: When it comes to the far-reaching effects of stigmatization on people who engage in violent and criminal behavior, it is possible that unconditional punishment leads to more crime, increases the costs of imprisonment, and consequently, adds to the financial burden of the government. Conclusion: Thus, we are faced with an urgent need to prepare legal grounds for the use of PPR techniques by 119 EMTs for agitated or combative patients only, with direct medical oversight. Moreover, the legal foundation for the use of PPR techniques also needs to be established for emergency medical personnel. The use of PPR techniques not only ensures the safety of emergency medical services personnel, but also protects patients from injuring themselves and others.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.379-385
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• 2002

Tele-medicine and emergency medical system are necessary for moving from an accidental point or far distance to a hospital and emergency treatment or home treatment before a hospital. Emergency treatment is extremely important in the case of death before arriving a hospital and deformed of disabled by medical treatment delay. A necessary element for this medical system is the emergency communication system. This system is on preparing for an ability of furnishing patient status to a corresponding health service by monitoring the patient at an ambulance of the accident place. This is the transportation of basic biological information of a patient to a medical center by wireless communication system and the corresponding hospital of medical center examine the patient by monitoring, then they can send emergency medical order to the patient for emergency treatment. The TRS is most efficient way of emergency medical communication system, which is currently used with popularity. In this paper studied simultaneously a way of detecting and transporting bio-logical signals, and monitoring of transporting data with communication of voice in the accident place of ambulance.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.119-128
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• 2007

It is happening a lot that the pediatric patients who are offering help in emergency room with background 119 rescuer require emergency care compared to adults. Our study was conducted to have a clear grasp of the status quo of pediatric patients who are offering help in emergency room with 119 rescuer. METHOD & OBJECT pediatric patients under 8 age who were offering help was conducted as objects by 119 cases from January, 2006 to January 2007, with 119 rescuer at C university hospital in Gwangju metropolitan city, which were 87 cases for a boy(73.1%), 32 cases for a girl. Based on emergency diary of emergency members and the medical treatment record of emergency room in C university hospital, a disease and a type of an external wound were analyzed according to ages of these patients, a time zone and season. RESULT In terms of an age, 25 cases(21.0%) have less than 1 age extremelymuch, in case of emergency, 61 cases(51.3%), which were more than non-emergency, in terms of happened places of patients, there were households up to 78 cases(65.5%) extremely much. In terms of happened time, 13:00 to 18:00 have highest data up to 48 cases(40.3%). According to season, there were no big differences in 4 seasons(spring : 30.3%, summer : 24.4%, fall : 29.4%, winter : 16.0%). In case of being offered help at emergency room due to diseases, 1-2 ages have highest estimate with 55.7%, in terms of a time zone, 19:00-24:00 have highest with 33.7%, in terms of season, summer(6, 7, 8) have highest with 32.8%. in case of traffic accident, 7-8 age have highest with 47.1%, according to a time zone, 13:00 to 18:00 have highest with 88.2%, according to season, fall have highest with 64.7%. In case of an external wound, 3-4 age have highest with 38.2%, according to a time zone, 13:00-18:00 have highest with 41.2%, according to season, spring have highest with 38.2%. CONCLUSION It shows that in case of pediatric patients who were offering help at emergency room with 119 rescuer, a pediatric under 1 age was due to a disease, in case of an external wound, there were 3-4 age, in case of traffic accident, 7-8 age have highest, a case for emergency have highest.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.20 no.2 s.62
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• pp.31-43
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• 2006

In Korea, the Emergency Medical Service, EMS is provided by Fire Services with 119 EMS and all the public uses the service for free. Although it appears very successful and is respected nationally, structural problem EMS exist and are worsening. First of all, the "free riding effect" becomes increasingly problematic. Some argue that 30% of the demands is not urgent or emergent. The total number of demands is increasing even without the free riding effect. The Current EMS system itself cannot meet the increasing EMS demand. The medical aspect is so poor that the EMS cannot dispatch a medical specialist to the scene. The cardiac arrest resuscitation rate is only $1.24{\sim}9.9%$, compared to 40% in Boston, MA, USA. But due to the regulations and limitations of the Fire Service organization, it is difficult to secure enough EMS resources. To work out these problems, it needs a structural innovation. To secure enough resources and achieve higher medical performance we should invite the medical sector and the private sector into EMS arena by contracting partnerships with Fire Services and charging a reasonable EMS fee. We found through statistical test that any partnership system is more effective than fire-alone system and most countries around the world have partnership system rather than fire-alone system.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.117-126
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• 2004

In general, the patients who transferred to the hospital by 119 rescue service at night go to the emergency room(ER) of general hospital rather than that of their nearby the 1st(clinic) and 2nd(local hospital) hospital. And the hospital is mainly selected not by 119 EMST but by patients or his/her conservators. Therefore we had studied retrospectively with emergency situation diary and medical chart for 697 patients of being transferred to one emergency medical center for 6 months since January 2004, and results are as follows. 1. The 280 patients(42.5%) of being transferred hospital at night by 119 rescue service were not emergency case and their average staying time in hospital was about $7.15{\pm}10.06$ minutes. 2. Transfer time was distributed in each time intervals of 1819, 2021, 2223, and 2401 and patients ratio in each intervals were 15.1%, 17.8%, 16.4%, and 15.2%. 3. In response of ambulance, the average time from the spot to the hospital was $14.53{\pm}9.27min$. and average distance of that was $7.95{\pm}9.21km$. 4. Diseases rather than traffic accidents or traumatic injury were main causes of ambulance calling and its value was 533(76.5%), and accidents were mainly occurred in patients' house and its value was 479(68.7%). 5. In time of transfer by 119 rescue service, hospital was mainly selected by patient/conservator and its value was 648(93.0%). In result. the hospital was selected not by EMST but by patient/conservator. 6. The case that the 1st grade EMT was rode in ambulance was 161(23.1%), and the case that 2nd EMT and emergency team member who educated for emergency were rode in ambulance were 504(72.3%). So the number of the 1st grade EMT was short in fire station of Kwangju metropolitan city than other city. 7. The first aids for patients before reaching hospital were limited to oxygen inhalation, airway control, and BLS for maintaining limbs and spine. So it seems to be a simple patients transfer. Consequently, to establish an efficient emergency medical system, it has been thought that it should be advanced a moderate education and public information about the appropriate use of emergency medical system toward citizen, and also need the hospital selection by the patients categorizing standards for 119 rescue service member, securing the 1st grade EMT, appropriate first-aids education, and securing professional human power in emergency room of the Ist(clinic) and 2nd(local hospital) hospital at night.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.19-33
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• 2009

Purpose : To check the legal relation between rescue team and patient as well as legal responsibility for patient's damage intentionally or erroneously caused by rescue member, a public official, in the performance of relevant job ; to prevent legal dispute over rescue team and to present program for fair settlement of dispute and equitable and feasible burden of damage. Method : First, the legal principle of Civil Law, Criminal Law and Administrative Law related to the theme of this research will be investigated around research by literature. Second, the case of dispute related to rescue team will be introduced. Result: 1. If 119 rescue members as a public official intentionally or erroneously cause damage to patient in the performance of job, they shall bear civil, criminal and administrative responsibility. They shall bear civil responsibility for indemnity for damage due to default or tort. The typical criminal responsibility includes accidental homicide arising out of duty, preparing falsified official document, dereliction of duty, etc. In the administrative side, the state is responsible for indemnity for peculiar status of the rescue member, public official. 2. Though raising civil petition or legal dispute over unsatisfactory rescue service may be reasonable to guarantee the right of nation, such action may cause stress to rescue member as well as may lead to mental shrinking and defensive attitude only to take the basic first aid treatment which has low possibility of mistake instead of active first aid treatment so as to avoid legal responsibility. 3. The program that may prevent legal dispute over 119 rescue team includes expansion of manpower specialized in first aid treatment, enhancement of education on legal environment, development and application of standard job guideline, formation of mutual trust with patient, detailed explanation, preparing and keeping minute record, improvement of the rescue members' ability of first aid treatment and development of medical instruction mode. Conclusion : The best policy is to prevent legal dispute. If it is impossible to basically exclude the possibility of dispute, however, we need to make effort to minimize the occurrence, settle fairly and divide damage equitably and feasibly. To improve the preventible death rate of our first aid system to the level of advanced country, 119 rescue team which is in charge of the stage before hospital needs to positively enforce special first aid by improving the qualitative level of rescue service and to strive to prevent legal dispute that may occur in the process.