• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.35-42
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• 2006

Purpose: We studied that EMT took care in prehospital care of cardiac arrest patients by "the chain of survial", we need the data about treatment of EMT in prehospital care of cardiac arrest patients. and then we want to educate EMT for their emergency skill and knowledge of prehospital care of cardiac arrest patients. Method: We studied 162 cardiac arrest patients were transported by EMT in Jecheon province, Chingbuk. Results: 1. Stage of Early Access 96.9% of people who related the cardiac arrest patients used the Jecheon 119 Rescue at their emergency situation. 2 Stage of Early CPR The EMT supported keeping of airway to 148 of 162 cardiac arrest patients. Artificial respiration was 120 of 162 cardiac arrest patients and chest compression was 119 of 162 cardiac arrest patients. 3. Stage of Early AED There were shocked 6 cardiac arrest patients but weren't shocked 156 victims of 162 cardiac arrest patients by AED. 4. Stage of Early ACLS There were reported 3 of 162 cardiac arrest patients. to Doctor or Hospital Emergency Center for medical direction to EMT in prehospital area. There is no advanced airway, IV insertion and medication to the prehospital cardiac arrest patients.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.12-24
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• 2014

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore whether emergency bell could shorten door to electrocardiograms (ECG) time in chest pain patients presenting to emergency department (ED) by self-transport. Methods: This was a planned 6-month before-and-after interventional study design. We set up the emergency bell in walk-in patients' waiting room. Prior to the change, patients were triaged before an ECG was obtained. In new process, as soon as patient with chest pain push the emergency bell, emergency physicians examined patient and prioritized performing ECG. We analyzed door to electrocardiograms (DTE) times for patients with chest pain and ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients between two periods. Results: During the enrollment period, a total of 63 patients called emergency bell. The median DTE time was 6 min (interquartile range: 3.0 - 9.0) and 82.5% received an ECG within 10 minutes, and only three patients were STEMI. DTE time in patient with chest pain was not different between two periods (p=0.980). Before intervention period, 15 walk-in patients admitted in ED for STEMI and 53.8% of STEMI patients received an ECG within 10 minutes. After intervention period, total 19 walk-in patients admitted in ED for STEMI. Of these, 89.5% met the time requirement. Conclusion: Because a small portion of patients with chest pain activated the emergency bell, new strategy for promotion of emergency bell must be needed.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 2021

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to determine the changes in the pattern of patients who were transferred to the emergency room through inter-hospital private institutions and to determine how long transport takes following the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed the emergency medical services reports of private institutions following the COVID-19 outbreak in South Korea. The study was conducted in Busan between January 19, 2019 and January 18, 2020, and between January 19, 2020 and January 18, 2021. Results: Upon comparing the patient transport times during the "Pre-COVID-19 period" and "COVID-19 period," a significant delay was noticed in the preparation for transfer of patients during the "COVID-19 period" (p<.05). There were significantly more patients with respiratory infections and patients who complained of general symptoms during the "COVID-19 period." Moreover, there was a higher frequency of patients who were transferred to a 'Level I' emergency room during the "COVID-19 period" compared to during the "Pre-COVID-19 period" (p<.05). Conclusion: Following the COVID-19 outbreak, there is a delay in patient transport to the emergency room through private institution inter-hospital transport and an increase in the number of patients complaining of respiratory infection symptoms. Thus, emergency medical services need additional administrative and economic support to transport infected patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.108-114
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• 2015

Purpose: To improve outcome of severe trauma patient, the shortening of transport time is needed. Although helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) is still a subject of debate, it must also be considered for trauma system. The aim of this study is to assess whether transport method (HEMS versus ground EMS) is associated with outcome among inter-hospital transport. Methods: All trauma patients transported to regional emergency center by either HEMS or ground EMS from September 2011 to September 2014. We have classified patients according to two groups by transport method. Age younger than 15 years and self-discharged patients were excluded. Results: A total of 427 patients were available for analysis during this period. 60 patients were transported by HEMS and 367 patients were transported by ground EMS. HEMS group had higher mortality than ground EMS group (23.3% vs 3.5%; p<0.001), and included more patients with excess mortality ratio adjusted injury severity score (EMR-ISS) above 25 (91.7% vs 48.8%; p<0.001). In the multivariable regression analysis, HEMS was not associated with improved outcome compared with ground EMS, but only EMR-ISS was associated with a mortality of patients (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.09). Conclusion: In this study, helicopter emergency medical services transport was not associated with a decreased of mortality among the trauma patients who inter-hospital transported to the regional emergency center.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2020

Purpose: The study aimed to collect the first aid activity log data of patients who were retransferred through paramedics and to analyze the data in the hospital to improve the plan. Methods: We analyzed 434 retransferred patients, out of the 18,197 patients who visited the emergency medical center in the C area in G metropolitan city, from January 2017 through December 2018. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS software. Results: The patients were retransferred for various reasons: 17.7% (77 cases) due to the absence of specialists, 15.0% (65 cases) required first aid, and 5.3% (23 cases) due to absence of medical department. In addition, the major medical department with the largest number of retransfer was the department of emergency medicine with 38.2% (166 cases). In the prehospital stage, 38.5% (167 cases) were classified as severe, but in the hospital stage, they were classified as mild. In addition, as a result of hospitalization and discharge, 60.4% (262 cases) were discharged. Conclusion: Most of the retransferred patients were non-emergency patients, and were discharged for mild conditions. The overcrowding in the emergency room of a tertiary hospital can be prevented by reducing the retransmission.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.51-66
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether, in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to the mode of arrival affect the emergency medical process. Methods: The participants of this study were 118 adult patients (46 patients admitted by emergency medical services (EMS), 48 walk-in patients, and 24 transferred from other hospitals) admitted to the emergency departments at one regional-level medical center who underwent coronary angiography between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017. To compare treatment courses, the median values of the following variables were compared among groups: symptom to door time; door to triage time; and door to ECG time. All data were analyzed using SPSS program. Results: Based on the initial assessment at triage, there was a significantly greater proportion of Korean Triage and Acuity Stage (KTAS) Level 1 or 2 among patients admitted by EMS than among walk-in patients. All three analyzed variables were lower in patients admitted by EMS than in the other two groups. Conclusion: Our results show that ACS patients who accessed EMS reached the emergency center faster after symptom onset, received initial triage assessment at earlier stages, and underwent sooner important examinations (i.e., the 12-lead ECG).

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.20-32
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• 1999

The purpose of this retrospective research of 603 patients who were transferred to the emergency medical center of university hospital from 1 Jan, 1998 to 31 Jan, 1998 was making of basic data for emergency medical transfer system improvement countermeasure and the point at issue of overlapping reexamination ststus of patients transfered to emergency medical center of university hospital from 1,2 level hospital. The data analysis was done by SPSS, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation. The results were as follows: 1. Male to female ratio was 1.7:1 and peak age group was patients over forties and under nine years of age(70.5%) 2. Traumatic patients were 17.8%, motor vehicle accident patients were 16.7% and Non-traumatic patients were 65.3%. Transferring hospital was divided into 2groups: primary hospital, secondary hospital. The majority was secondary hospital(73.3%). The result of symptom severity classification of patients transferred to 3rd emergency medical center was urgent patients 32.5%, emergency patients 33.58%, non-emergency patients 34.0% 3. Most highest score items amoung overlapping reexamination of patients transfered to emergency medical center of university hospital from 1,2 level hospital were CBC test, simple X-ray (0.93점), CBC test(0.97점), urin test(0.88점), chemistry test(0.94점), simple X-ray(0.98점), CT(0.42점), EKG(0.89점) amoung overlapping reexamination of motor vehicle accident patients were more higher reexamination score than traumatic patients and non-traumatic patients 4. CBC test(P<0.001), urin test(P<0.001), chemistry test(P<0.001), simple X-ray(P<0.001), CT(P<0.01), EKG(P<0.001) amoung overlapping reexamination of patients in 2 level hospital were more higher reexamination score than 1 level hospital patients 5. About symptom severity classification of patients transferred to 3rd emergency medical center, CBC test(P<0.001), urin test(P<0.001), chemistry test(P<0.001), simple X-ray(P<0.01), CT(P<0.001), EKG(P<0.001) amoung overlapping reexamination items in urgent patients were more higher reexamination score than other patients 6. Influencing variation for overlapping reexamination in hospital was CBC test(P<0.001), CT (P<0.001), MRI (P<0.05).

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.145-156
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• 2021

Purpose: Despite the fact that emergency medical centers (ED) are used by emergency patients, more than 50% of non-emergency patients have been reported to be admitted in EDs, of which more than 10% of them used the 119 ambulance. Therefore, this study investigated whether there was a change in the severity of patients visiting EDs during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients who visited the ED through the 119 ambulance in 2019 (13,735) and 2020 (11,015). Patient data were analyzed using the medical information system. Results: There was an increase in non-emergency patients at the emergency departments (KTAS levels 4-5) in 2020 with a rate of 58.0% (6,393), as compared to the 2019 data with a rate of 44.9% (6,169). However, the 2020 median length of stay in the emergency department was 188 minutes (IQR: 0-5,909minutes) (p=.000), which was decreased as compared to the 2019 median length of stay of 231 minutes (IQR: 5-6,211minutes) (p=.003). Conclusion: Providing emergency ambulance guidelines for selecting proper hospitals and educating patients to refrain from using the ED for non-emergency patients should be taken into consideration to prevent overcrowding and construct a more effective emergency medical system (EMS).

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.90-95
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• 2004

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the toxicologic characteristics of two groups of patients with acute intoxication for two different time periods and to make recommendations based on the results of this study. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of patients with acute intoxication in our emergency center from June 1997 to May 1998 (group A) and from June 2000 to May 2003 (group B), and we evaluated differences in the epidemiologic and the toxicologic characteristics between the two groups. Results: The ratios of the number of patients with acute intoxication to the total numbers of patients who visited our emergency department were $0.49\%$ and $0.52\%$ for groups A and B, respectively. In both groups many poisoned patients visited our emergency center from 4:00 pm to midnight. The interval between the time of intoxication and arrival at the hospital was significantly shorter in group B. The number of patients transferred to our emergency center was larger in group B. Attempted suicide was the major cause of acute intoxication in both groups. Major toxic substances in both groups were centrally active drugs and insecticides. The number of comatose and mechanically ventilated patients was larger in group B. However, there was no statistically significant difference in the mortality rates. Conclusion: Emergency physicians who manage intoxicated patients should recognize regional characteristics and differences in the toxicologic characteristics of poisoning. In addition, the establishment of a poisoning control center in the regional emergency center is necessary to integrate data control and to enhance specialized management of intoxicated patients.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.661-669
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate of visiting time and major cause of disease by operating time changes of a university dental emergency room. Methods: This study was a retrospect study carried out by reviewing 9,172 records visiting the university emergency room from January 1997 to December 2009. Data were analyzed by frequency test, chi-square test, and logistic regression using SAS version 9.3. Results: Twenty four hours emergency room had 19 percent more patients than those in daytime emergency room. Daytime emergency room had more male patients during spring(26.6%) and winter(20.2%) than female patients(p<0.05). Female patients exceeded male patients during summer(24.4%) and autumn(36.2%)(p<0.05). Twenty-four hours emergency room had the maximal patients in autumn and the minimal patients in winter(p<0.05). The most common injury in the daytime was tooth fracture from 0 to 19 years old(p<0.05). Tooth fracture, jaw fracture, and soft tissue injury were the most common injury in dental emergency room and majority of the patients were the male(p<0.05). Conclusions: Twenty-four hours dental emergency room had a variety of causes of dental emergency thant that in the daytime. Twenty four hours dental emergency room must be prepared for the dental emergency patients at any time provided with personnel and facilities.