• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.110-124
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• 2007

Currently, we have seen sudden increase of demand for emergency medical services by reason for high-speed economic development increase of traffics, etc. in this society. Consequently the government enforced & operated emergency medical system in 1991 as a link of more positive countermeasure against it, but many problem; still remain in reality. In particular, the regional emergency medical center designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare falls short of our expectations for its essential role by the reason of such as insufficiency in professional manpower and institutions concerned in small-scale hospital, matters with transportation system, preference of large hospital, etc. Therefore, this study was conducted grasp for the actual conditions of emergency medical system based upon literature research & the preceding studies and interview research the motive of coming hospital, satisfaction & understand to the subject of 150 persons of patients and their guardians who used regional emergency center of Pusan National University Hospital, thereby examining & analysing the cause of emergency room overcrowding by non-emergency cases, one of the problem; enumerated from preceding studies. The main result of this study is as follows. First the actual condition of non-emergency patients coming hospital for examining overcrowding of emergency medical center showed that, of the patients who used the emergency medical center, non-emergency patients accounted for 49.3%, which acted as the main cause of delaying medical care for emergency cases, cases of which medical person or first-aid man decided to come hospital accounted for 36.1 %, thereby suggesting essential need for re-education & wide public information to even the professional manpower besides patients & guardians for their using emergency medical system. Second, as the result of researching patient acknowledgement with reference to their using emergency medical center, the rate of their giving right answer is no more than 60%, which means that non-emergency cases' using as such is due to the shortage of their knowledge of the said emergency medical center, which suggests us that wider P.R for emergency medical system to common people who may be one of the patients of it at any time is still in need. Third, the result of researching for finding out a future remedy of emergency medical system showed that the users who know well of the way of using emergency medical center had relatively high satisfaction of it, ones who have lesser knowledge of it lower satisfaction and users who feel in need of emergency specialized manpower feel the necessity of public information of emergency medical information center(1339) at the same time. The finding of examining the subject of study, in conclusion, showed that the degree of the patients & their guardians' understanding of emergency medical system is lower and the medical persons concerned also had no distinct difference in their understanding of it from the common people's, which suggests us for extensive enforcement of systematic education and public information in aspect of the government via various media for the purpose of effective operation of emergency medical center.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.163-174
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• 2007

Purpose : This study analyzes prehospital care report of emergency service at prehospital stage, examines characteristics of activities of 119 paramedics and its users and aims to provide help for improving emergency system in future. Methods : Data collected were 119 prehospital care report and hospital records with 7,160 patients to emergency room by 119 ambulance from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006 and percentage and frequency of the data were obtained. Results : 1) Use of emergency room by 119 ambulance was increased in summer and autumn such as August(9.1%), September(11.2%) and October(13.5%) and it was more frequently used on Monday(17.3%), Saturday(17.2%) and Friday(16.1%) by telephone(98.6%). 2) Using emergency room was most in over sixties(51.8%), men(64.2%), community residents (78.3%), by report of family(50.3%) and at '09:01~12:00'(16.5%). 3) Symptoms of emergency room users included headache, chest pain, stomachache, lumbago and others as 40.6% and places where patients were found were at home(60.1%) due to chronic internal diseases at 49.2%. 4) Most of non-emergency patients(80.2%) arriving at hospital had normal pupil condition (88.4%) and clear consciousness(71.2%) and most of them left hospital after having first-aid treatment. 5) Physiological symptom tests evaluated by paramedics at prehospital stage included blood pressure(56.6%), pulse(22.9%), breathing(13.0%) and temperature(9.2%), and there was no SPo2 case. 6) Classification of severity by paramedics showed difference as emergency patients(18.0%) by paramedics and those(24.9%) by hospital. 7) First-aid treatments by paramedics at prehospital stage were promoting comfort(28.9%), hemostasis(7.7%), fixing cervical vertebrae(4.0%) and ensuring vein route(3.1%). 8) Selectors of medical agency were patients or guardians(86.2%) and emergency medical technicians(73.6%). Conclusion : To sum up the above research, it was found that percentage of using 119 ambulance by non-emergency patients was higher and paramedics performed basic first-aid treatment rather than professional first-aid treatment due to several conditions such as legal problems, range of allowance, etc. Therefore, it is considered that method to reduce frequency of ambulance by non-emergency patients and approaches to alleviate limitations of allowance of paramdeics to make them perform effective first-aid treatment at prehospital stage should be sought in the dimension of individual, organization and government.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.51-65
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate experiences of violence with patients or family members by paramedics working at emergency rooms. Methods: A questionnaire was administered from June 1 to 31, 2017 to 225 paramedics working at 27 emergency medical centers. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS statistics ver 24.0 program. Results: Within the past year, 208(92.9%) of 224 participants experienced violence among whom 202(90.2%) experienced verbal abuse, 193(86.2%) experienced physical threat, 89(39.7%) experienced physical violence, and 52(23.2%) experienced sexual violence. The level of violence response depending on the overlapping experience of violence type showed significant difference from emotional response (p= .001), social response (p= .001), physical response (p= .004), and overall violence response (p= .001). Conclusion: In conclusion, paramedics are frequently exposed to violence in the emergency rooms, of which they mostly experience verbal abuse. In addition, because the reporting system in the event of violence and the coping process are not well-informed, paramedics are unable to sufficiently utilize the reporting system and programs established within the institution. Therefore, the support of the legal system is needed to create a safe working environment for the medical staff who work in the emergency medical centers.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.153-168
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• 2002

Since 1992, conventional fire fighting businesses have been converted into a metropolitan autonomous fire fighting system to be ready for a variety of disasters. However, the corresponding investment has been overlapped due to the non-integration of businesses to prevent any potential disasters, and a series of collaborative systems have been not functioning so well. In the meantime, our fire fighting sector has been trying to set up its own clean and faithful position by abolishing any inconvenient system or outsourcing private sectors, and expanded its work scope from conventional fire fighting even to rescue and emergency works. While focusing on handling disaster, the fire fighting sector has been widely trusted and reliable throughtout our nation. Moreover, our fire fighting sector has secured nation wide mobile organizations, technical personnel by field, special equipments and independent communication network. In addition, the fire fighting sector has knowledges, expertise and capabilities required for managing disasters, while in charge of almost every disaster management works including fire, explosion, collapse, disaster and flood. It becomes an organization for comprehensive disaster management under an absolute national trust, which is based on the system for prevention, preparation and countermeasure against a variety of disasters. Thus, our fire fighting sector must make many efforts and try to modernize conventional education and training. The ways to facilitate rescue and emergency works may include the nurture of technical fire fighting personnel along with modernized equipments, the reinforcement of rescue and emergency education, the facilitation of operating civil defense corps, the facilitation of operating volunteer fire fighting corps, the better arrangement of 119 briefing room for public healthcare in provincial offices, the sterilization of rescue instruments and equipments the better repair education for emergency rescue member, the establishment of regional emergency assistant system and the expansion of fire fighting personnel and equipments. In terms of reinforcing the functions and services of rescue 119 and emergency corps, we must review the following considerations: Building up security system along with operational expansion, building up a system for emergency medical treatment, building up a comprehensive information management system for rescue and emergency, constructing a provincial safety museum and so forth. For the ways to better the works of rescue 119 we can review the following considerations : Improving the education for fire fighting training corps under Jeju Provincial Fire and Disaster Management Department, providing rescue members with more opportunities for clinical practices, enhancing the morale of rescue members, installing a comprehensive briefing room for emergency rescue members, building up medical networks along with reasonable policies for information service, operating the consulting system for rescue 119 and so on. If these requirements are met, it is expected that the fire fighting departments in Jeju province can cope with every accident and disaster a little more rapidly and quickly in compliance with local needs, so that they can keep their own position as a public fire fighting organization which may be trusted by the public.

• 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.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2019

Background: Emergencies in dentistry can be classified as medical and dental. Medical emergencies occur mainly during dental treatment in patients with a systemic disease. Dental emergency departments are largely divided into dental emergency rooms located in dental college hospitals and medical emergency rooms located in medical institutions. This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of and provide help to dental emergency patients in a dental hospital. Methods: Overall, 1806 patients admitted to a dental emergency room at Yonsei University Dental Hospital for 1 year were included. The data collection period was from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015. An investigator reviewed medical records from the electronic medical record (EMR) system and radiographs. Results: The patients were 1,070 men and 736 women. The sex ratio was 1.45:1. The commonest age group was of 0-9 years, including 451 (25.0%) patients, followed by 20-29 years, including 353 (19.5%) patients, and 30-39 years, including 277 (15.3%) patients. Of the 108 patients transferred to the Severance emergency department, 81 had trauma, 19 were in pain, 4 were bleeding, and 4 had other complaints. Among chief complaints, 1,079 patients (60.3%) had trauma, 564 (31.5%) had pain, and 75 (4.2%) had bleeding. Twenty-three cases (1.3%) were caused by temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Conclusion: Dentists should be able to adequately assess patients in a dental emergency room and treat trauma, pain, and bleeding.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.111-124
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• 2012

Emergency room process is very important in the whole hospital processes because it is first diagnosis for patient. Above all, triage is important activity which quickly diagnose the status of emergency patient and sets the priority for treatment. This paper analyzes the treatment process pattern by triage type. The results show that the treatment process after triage such as residence time, diagnosis and checkup type, and joint treatment are dependent on triage types. We can use these analysis results for improving the current triage system and developing the new triage system considering a domestic emergency medical service environment.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.147-178
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• 2003

In terms of reinforcing the functions and services of rescue 119 and emergency corps, we must review the following considerations : Building up security system along with operational expansion, building up a system for emergency medical treatment, buliding up a comprehensive information management system for rescue and emergency, constructing a provincial safety museum and so forth. For the ways to better the works of rescue 119, we can review the following considerations : Improving the education for fire fighting trainging corps under Jeju Provicial Fire and disaster management department, providing rescue members with more opportunity for clinical practices, enhancing the morale of rescue members, installing a comprehensive briefing room for emergency rescue members, building up medical networks along with reasonable policies for information service, operating the consulting system for rescue 119 and so on. Provide little more superior quality high fire fighting service to jeju islander, and need long-term and elaborate research to correspond in rising fire fighting man-power demand newly and investment. Construction of well-matched disaster administration system is assignment that must hurry in international free city. That jejudo receives time factor about that is received for another thing area's number of persons or equipment when regional special quality large scale or disaster happens is that of course the support receives limitation immediately. Jeju fire fighting services is one story reform, specialization taking into account particular situation of jeju area to grow as sightseeing and center of culture intending international free city, should be upgraded. So, it may do big contribution naturally in jeju international free city phase that coincide jeju islander's social welfare promotion and safety desire.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.595-602
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• 2018

Objective: The Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS), which was implemented in 2016, needs to be assessed for its validity and reliability. Here we evaluate the relevance of emergency level assessment by analyzing the validity of KTAS as a Korean standardized triage system. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of adults who presented to a local emergency room (ER) during an 18-month period. We compared medical resources used, life-saving interventions performed, length of stay (LOS) in ER, admission rate, and mortality at each KTAS level. Results: Among a total of 40,339 patients, most patients were at KTAS 4 (n=19,532, 48.4%) and the longest median LOS in ER was 450 minutes at KTAS 2. As the KTAS level increased, the percentage of medical resources used and lifesaving interventions performed increased significantly. The odds of total admission and intensive care unit admission were significantly higher at KTAS 1 through 4 compared to those at KTAS 5. The odds related to admission and mortality were also significantly higher at KTAS 3 than at KTAS 4. Conclusion: We concluded that the KTAS, as a Korean standardized triage system of emergency level assessment, is relevant. Further, KTAS 1-3 and KTAS 4-5 are appropriate criteria to distinguish emergency and non-emergency patients.

• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2017.04a
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• pp.728-730
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• 2017

The proposed application design for emergency medical system includes the functions that help securing the window of opportunity for the patients in an emergency situation and efficiently link rescue agency, emergency medical treatment center and patients together. First, the treatment time can be saved at the emergency room by understanding the patient's condition by entering his/her health information such as anamnesis, family history, social history and blood type together with an identification number. Also, if the siren function which signals whereabouts of patients to the rescue crew is used, it will be much easier to find the location of the patient in need. The design allows rescue crew to call the patient to check whether he/she is conscious or not. Just by receiving the call, he/she will be deemed conscious.