• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.99-104
• /
• 2016

Purpose: There are many patients visited to ED in an alcohol intoxicated state. For these patients, it is difficult to predict by only clinical examination whether he/she would have brain lesion. The purpose of this study is to research whether it is possible to predict brain lesion by only clinical examination findings, with comparing patients with/without actual brain lesions. Methods: A retrospective study was performed at a university hospital for the period 11 months with the medical records. As for the inclusion group, head trauma patients with objectively proved drunk, judging by their blood ethanol concentration, and performed the brain CT were selected. In terms of medical record, Glasgow coma scale (GCS), the presence of neurologic abnormalities, the presence of lesion on brain CT of the patients, were examined. From laboratory results, blood ethanol concentration, platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and glucose concentration were identified. Results: For this study, there were total 80 patients of inclusion group. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of GCS score and neurological examination abnormalities, between the group with brain lesion and the group without brain lesion on brain CT. Conclusion: Alcohol intoxicated patient with head trauma visits the ED, it is not possible to distinguish or determine whether brain lesion exists or not by only clinical findings. In order to check the lesion existence, the image examination, therefore, should be considered and performed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
• /
• v.17 no.11
• /
• pp.377-385
• /
• 2019

This study was conducted to present factors related to limiting activities of patients visiting the emergency department in general, and the data collection was made using raw data from the sixth and third years (2014) to the seventh years (2015) of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The study subjects were conducted on 425 patients who had visited the emergency department due to injury and analyzed using the SPSS/WIN 23.0 program. The study found that the younger the age of 19, the worse the subjective health condition, the more relevant the Activity Limitations, which is thought to contribute to research and policy decisions to prevent future activity limitations of patients visiting emergency department due to injury.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
• /
• v.10 no.10
• /
• pp.253-258
• /
• 2020

This study analyzed, the characteristics of ambulatory care sensitive conditions(ACSCs) in patients visiting emergency departments(EDs) and compared characteristics according to two age groups (adults aged 19-64 years and, elderly people aged ≥65 years). By accessing data from the National Emergency Department Information System(NEDIS) from January 1 to December 31, 2018, we examined the proportions of different ED types and ACSCs, length of stay(LOS) in the ED, LOS hospital, and hospital admission rates. Regarding the types of EDs, we found that the proportion of local emergency medical centers was high(P<0.001). Regarding the rates of different ACSCs, 31.7% of adults were treated for gastroenteritis, a high proportion of the elderly people(48.2%) were diagnosed with and treated for pneumonia(P<0.001). The LOS in the ED was longer in elderly people for all diseases categories, except for congestive heart failure and diabetes(P<0.001). The LOS in the hospital was also significantly longer in elderly people for all ACSCs(P<0.05), and the admission rate was significantly higher in elderly people for all diseases, except for diabetes(P<0.01). Thus, analyzing the ED visits made by patients with ACSCs will need to strengthen the health-care policy to induce treatment centered on outpatient.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.65-71
• /
• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the cause of acute fatal poisoning and the time of death by analyzing the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) of South Korea. Methods: The NEDIS data from 2014 to 2018 excluding non-medical visits were used for this study. The patients with acute poisoning were extracted using diagnostic codes. The toxic substances were classified into pharmaceuticals, pesticides, gases, artificial poisonous substances, and natural toxic substances. Patients were classified according to the time of death, place of death, and region. In each case, the most causative substances of poisoning were identified. Results: There were 380,531 patients including poisoning-related diagnoses, of which 4,148 (1.1%) died, and the WHO age-standardized mortality rate was 4.8 per 100,000. Analysis of 2,702 death patients whose primary diagnosis was acute poisoning, the most common cause of poisoning death was pesticides (62%), followed by therapeutic drugs, gas, and artificial toxic substances. Herbicides were the most common pesticides at 64.5%. The proportion of mortality by time, hyperacute (<6 h) 27.9%, acute (6-24 h) 32.6%, subacute (1-7 d) 29.7%, and delayed period (>7 d) were 9.8%. Conclusion: This study suggests that the most common cause of poisoning death was pesticides, and 60% of deaths occurred within 24 hours. The 71% of mortality from pesticides occurred within 6-24 hours, but mortality from gas was mostly within 6 hours. According to the geographic region, the primary cause of poisoning death was varied to pesticides or pharmaceuticals.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.17 no.5
• /
• pp.813-821
• /
• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine descriptors of dyspnea and clinical characteristics in patients with COPD at ED visit. Method: The study design was a descriptive survey, and 46 patients with COPD complaining of dyspnea were participated during their visits to the ED of C university hospital in G city, from October 1, 2004 to April 8, 2005. Result: The qualitative characteristics of dyspnea at the time of decision to the ED visit were short of breath (71.7%), tight (32.6%), hard to breathe (15.2%), smothering or suffocating (10.9%), gasping (8.7%), couldn't breathe (6.5%), constricted (2.2%), and hunger for air (2.2%). In the item of dyspnea checklists, My chest felt tight was the most common description among subjects. As the result of factor analysis of dyspnea checklists, the first factor was characterized rapid and shallow, the second was suffocating/smothering, the third was hunger for air, and the fourth was constricted. Conclusion: This study suggests that a checklist of dyspnea descriptors based on this findings would be utilized as a tool of initial and ongoing assessment for dyspneic patients with COPD in the ED after identifying the validity and reliability of the checklist.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.648-660
• /
• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to develop an emerging infectious disease (COVID-19) simulation module for nursing students and verify its effectiveness. Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted with 78 under-graduate nursing students. A simulation module was developed based on the Jeffries simulation model. It consisted of pre-simulation lectures on disaster nursing including infectious disease pandemics, practice, and debriefings with serial tests. The scenarios contained pre-hospital settings, home visits, arrival to the emergency department, and follow-up home visits for rehabilitation. Results: Disaster preparedness showed a statistically significant improvement, as did competencies in disaster nursing. Confidence in disaster nursing increased, as did willingness to participate in disaster response. However, critical thinking did not show significant differences between time points, and neither did triage scores. Conclusion: The developed simulation program targeting an infectious disease disaster positively impacts disaster preparedness, disaster nursing competency, and confidence in disaster nursing, among nursing students. Further studies are required to develop a high-fidelity module for nursing students and medical personnel. Based on the current pandemic, we suggest developing more scenarios with virtual reality simulations, as disaster simulation nursing education is required now more than ever.

• Neonatal Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.96-101
• /
• 2018

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the respiratory illness-related hospital visits (out-patient clinics, emergency room, and re-admission) of preterm infants, and compare them according to corrected age and prematurity. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of preterm infants born at <37 weeks of gestation admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Inha University Hospital between January 2012 and June 2015. Infant follow-up appointments in both neonatology and pulmonology out-patient clinics occurred for at least 2 years after NICU discharge. Results: The proportion of infants who visited the hospital due to any respiratory illness was as high as 50% until 12 months of corrected age, and subsequently decreased over time. Hospital admission was significantly higher in early preterm infants (<34 weeks of gestation) compared to late preterm infants (${\geq}34$ and <37 weeks of gestation). The proportion of infants who were re-admitted due to lower respiratory tract illness was significantly higher until 6 months of corrected age compared to the later, and did not differ between early and late preterm infants. Conclusion: The proportion of hospital visits of preterm infants due to respiratory disease was high until 12 months of corrected age. Most notably, the re-admission proportion from lower respiratory tract illness was high under 6 months in both early and late preterm infants. Preterm infants within this age that are visiting the hospital with respiratory symptoms should be carefully observed and followed up.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.40-46
• /
• 2007

Purpose: The primary goal of wound management is to avoid infection. Wounds in all patients presenting to the Emergency Department are contaminated with bacteria. Despite this, there is a low incidence of infection. Unfortunately, physicians continue to use antimicrobial agents indiscriminately. The authors intended to determine the effect of selective antimicrobial agents and the indications for appropriate antimicrobial agent use in traumatic simple wounds. Methods: This prospective study was performed from Jul. 2005 to Aug. 2005. A pilot study had been performed from Nov. 2003 to Jul. 2004 at the Ewha Woman's University Mokdong Hospital. Structured data sheets were completed at the times of the patient's visits to the Emergency Department and to the Outpatient Department for follow-up. Infection was determined at the time of follow-up. The indications of antimicrobial agent use are immunocompromised patients, wounds contaminated for 3 hours or longer, devitalized tissue, and extremity wounds except hand wounds caused by sharp objects. Results: The study enrolled 216 injured patients. The general characteristics of patients and wounds between the two groups were not significantly different. The antimicrobial agent use and infection rate of the pilot study were 227 cases (90.4%) and 10 cases (4.0%), and those of this study were 100 cases (46.3%) and 9 cases (4.1%). In this study, antibiotic use was reduced to almost half compared with the previous study, but the infection rate was similar (p<0.001). Conclusion: Rational use of antimicrobial agents in simple wounds reduced the use of antimicrobial agents in the Emergency Department without increasing the infection rate.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.349-353
• /
• 2014

Background: Although previously studies have reported that most patients with malignancy prefer to die at home, this is not the real situation in clinical practice. Aim: In this study, we aimed to determine the characteristics of Turkish cancer patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) within one month before death. Materials and Method: This descriptive retrospective study focused on questions about how often and why patients with cancer visited the ED before death. A total of 107 individuals with cancer were divided into 2 groups: Group 1, patients with at least one visit in the final 4 weeks; and Group 2, patients with no visit to ED. Demographic and clinical features were compared between the two groups. Statistical analyses: Descriptive statistical methods, statistical analysis for correlation, Student's t-test, chi-square tests and logistic regression were used. Results: At least one visit to ED within one month before death was reported for 64 (60%) of the 107 cases. Of these 64 (Group 1), 38% (n=24) were discharged and 9% (n=6) died in the ED. The most common site of the primary tumor was the lung (n=24, 38%) and the most common symptom was dyspnea (92%). With the other 43 (40%) cancer patients not presenting to the ED within one month before death, they were more likely to be female with another type of cancer. Conclusions: Guidelines are needed for better management of cancer patients benefiting from visits to ED within the last month of life.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.69-78
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The living standards vary between the urban and rural areas in Korea. This study aims to compare the characteristics of acute poisoning victims in urban and rural areas. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted over a period of 2 years from 2008 to 2009. The study group included adults over 19 year old with acute poisoning and who were later were admitted to the local emergency medical center located in Daegu, Korea. The exclusion criteria were 1) the victims of adverse effects of therapeutic doses of drugs, 2) the victims with chronic exposure and 3) the victims who were missing data in their emergency medical records. We divided the victims into the adult group (19-64 years old) and the old group (over 65 years old). Results: There were 569 acute poisoning victims during the study period, and they constituted 1.11% of the total ED visits (51,199). Four hundred seventy six patients were enrolled in this study. Out of the 359 acute poisoning victims, 252 victims were from urban areas and 107 victims were from rural areas. They showed statistical differences for gender, ED access, transport, toxins and the time to the ED. In the old group, 61 victims out of 117 were from urban areas and the remaining 56 victims were from rural areas. They showed statistical differences for gender, ED access, toxins and transport. Conclusion: Through the clinical comparison between the acute poisoning victims of urban and rural areas, we exposed the clinical differences between the urban and rural areas, and we concluded that prevention and education for acute poisoning should be generated differently between the two groups.