• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.31-39
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• 2016

In emergency dispatching at 119 Command & Dispatch Center, some inconsistencies between the 'standard emergency aid system' and 'dispatch protocol,' which are both mandatory to follow, cause inefficiency in the dispatcher's performance. If an emergency dispatch system uses automatic speech recognition (ASR) to process the dispatcher's protocol speech during the case registration, it instantly extracts and provides the required information specified in the 'standard emergency aid system,' making the rescue command more efficient. For this purpose, we have developed a Korean large vocabulary continuous speech recognition system for 400,000 words to be used for the emergency dispatch system. The 400,000 words include vocabulary from news, SNS, blogs and emergency rescue domains. Acoustic model is constructed by using 1,300 hours of telephone call (8 kHz) speech, whereas language model is constructed by using 13 GB text corpus. From the transcribed corpus of 6,600 real telephone calls, call logs with emergency rescue command class and identified major symptom are extracted in connection with the rescue activity log and National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). ASR is applied to emergency dispatcher's repetition utterances about the patient information. Based on the Levenshtein distance between the ASR result and the template information, the emergency patient information is extracted. Experimental results show that 9.15% Word Error Rate of the speech recognition performance and 95.8% of emergency response detection performance are obtained for the emergency dispatch system.

• Journal of Korean Institute of Industrial Engineers
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.59-68
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• 2010

The medical emergency departments are suffering from the crowdness of patients, hence the quality of medical service the patients are receiving are getting poorer. Overcrowding of medical emergency departments may incur the waiting time for the treatment, and the improper treatment in time. For the operational control of the emergency department, the crowding index is commonly used to identify the crowding intensity, with which the operation process is managed, and future process can be expected. In this study the composite crowding index is suggested, in which the trend of inpatients rate, the age and acuity of patients, and resource of ED are considered. The validity of the suggested crowding index is discussed by the regression analysis for the index and the actual number of inpatients, and by the simulation study using the process model and the real data.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2007

Purpose: Gaining vascular access is difficult and time-consuming in critically ill children, so nowdays, in many countries, intraosseous vascular access is frequently used for rapid vascular access in critically ill children. Its pharmacokinetics is close to that of the peripheral intravenous route, but its infusion flow rate is faster. The purpose of this study was to determine how widely the intraosseous infusion technique was being used in Korean emergency departments. Methods: We telephoned forty-two (42) randomly selected university-affiliated hospitals. We asked physicians if they use the intraosseous infusion technique. Responders were emergency and pediatric residents and emergency faculty. If they responded that they were not using the intraosseous infusion technique, we asked the reason. Also, we asked about their experiences with the intraosseous infusion technique. Results: Forty-two (42) hospitals were enrolled in this study. No hospital used the intraosseous infusion technique on a regular basis. However, 8 hospitals used the intraosseous infusion technique occasionally. None of the responders had experience with the intraosseous infusion technique. Conclusion: The intraosseous infusion technique is currently underrepresented at emergency departments in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.189-200
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• 2021

Purpose: We aimed to provide effective emergency medical services (EMS) response strategies for coping with high acuity patients during the pandemic by analyzing the influence of the COVID-19 and social distancing on EMS. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we analyzed the distribution of high acuity patients transported by Daejeon 1-1-9 EMS during the COVID-19 pandemic period, between February 1, 2020 and October 31, 2020 and the same period in 2019, as well as the level 3 social distancing enforced period, between July 27, 2020 and October 31, 2020. Results: The EMS dispatches decreased by 17% during the observed COVID-19 pandemic period compared to the same period in 2019. The number of cases with cardiac arrest and positive prehospital stroke scale rose by (p<.001). Patients with cardiac arrest, trauma, and positive prehospital stroke scale increased by during the level 3 social distancing period. Conclusion: Unlike the decreased EMS call volume and patient transports during the COVID-19 pandemic, cardiac arrest cases and the severity of high acuity patients tended to increase. We suggest that EMS systems should contrive a response strategy considering the collateral effect of major epidemics on the incidence rate of high acuity patients.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2022

Purpose: By analyzing the health status of emergency patients on islands in the Jeollanam-do province, this study aims to provide basic data for proposed future medical emergency services on the islands. This information includes monthly and hourly statistics on patients' characteristics, patient frequency, an analysis of first aid procedures, response times, and time spent at hospitals. Methods: The study analyzed the monthly and hourly frequency of emergency patients, first aid status and procedures, general patient characteristics, accident types, patient cognitive status and agility, marine police response times, and frequency and percentile of hospital dispatch times. Results: 1Q and #q show the highest patient turnover rate in one year. 50.5% of daily patients are admitted between 4 PM and 12 PM. The hospital dispatch time is within a one- to two-hour window for 54.0% of all patients. Conclusion: The emergency medical service system for the Jeollanam-do province islands and seas is available to all Korean residents, citizens, and visitors. It is necessary to implement an emergency medical system for the relevant organizations.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2011

Purpose: A few studies have assessed the factors affecting the prognoses for major trauma patients and those improving the circumstances when dealing with the trauma system. In that light, we analyzed factors, such as pre-hospital factors, the time to admission, the length of stay in the emergency department (ED) and emergency operation, influencing the outcomes for trauma patients. Methods: The patients who visited our emergency department from April 1, 2009, to February 29, 2011, due to major trauma were enrolled in the study. The inclusion criterion was a revised trauma score (RTS) < 7 or injury severity score (ISS) ${\geq}$ 16. We used reviews of medical records, to analyze each step of emergency medical care with respect to patients' sex, age, visit time and visit date. Continuous variables were described as a median with an interquartile range, and we compared the variables between the survival and the mortality groups by using the Mann-Whitney U test. Fisher's exact test was used for nominal variables. Using the variables that showed statistical significance in univariate comparisons, we performed a logistic regression analysis, and we tested the model's adequacy by the using the Hosmer-Lemeshow method. Results: A total of 261 patients with major trauma satisfied either the RTS score criterion or the ISS score criterion. Excluding 12 patients with missing data, 249 patients were included in this study. The overall mortality rate was 16.9%. Time to ED arrival, time to admission, time of ED stay, RTS, ISS, and visit date being a holiday showed statistically significant differences between the survival and the mortality groups in the univariate analysis. RTS, ISS, length of ED stay, and visit date being a holiday showed statistical significance in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: The mortality rate did not show a significant relationship with the time to ED arrival, use of 119, on time to admission. Rather, it elicited a quite significant correlation with the trauma scoring system (RTS and ISS), the time of ED stay, and the visit date being a holiday.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.218-226
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• 2009

Purpose: In multiple blunt trauma patients, transfusion may be a significant therapeutic adjunct to non-operative management. The blood products must be expedited and efficiently to patients in impending shock caused by hemorrhage or traumatic coagulopathy, but the decision to perform blood transfusion has been made empirically, based on the clinician' and has not been guided by objective parameters, but own opinion, that may result in an underestimate of or a failure to detect bleeding, in delayed transfusion, and in a reduced outcome. This article presents quickly assessable predictive factors for determining if a blood transfusion is required to improve outcomes in multiple blunt trauma patients admitted to the emergency room. Methods: In a retrospective review of 282 multiple blunt trauma patients who visited our emergency center by emergency rescuer during a 1-year period, possible factors predictive of the need for a blood transfusion were subjected to univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Of blunt trauma patients, 9.2% (26/282), received red blood cells in the first 24 hours of care. Univariate analysis revealed significant associations between blood transfused and heart rate (HR) > 100 beats/min, respiratory rate (RR) > 20 breaths/min, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) < 14, Revised Trauma Score (RTS) < 11, white blood cell count (WBC) < 4000 or > 10000, and initial abnormal portable trauma series (Cspine lateral, chest AP, pelvis AP). A multiple regression analysis, with a correction for diagnosis, identified HR > 100 beats/min (EXP 3.2), GCS < 14 (EXP 4.1), and abnormal trauma series (EXP 2.9), as independent predictors. Conclusion: In our study, systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 90 mmHg, old age > 65 years, hemoglobin < 13g/dL, mechanism of injury were poor predictors of early blood transfusion. Initial abnormal portable trauma series, HR > 100 beats/min, and GCS < 14 were quickly assessable useful factors for predicting a need for early blood transfusion in blunt trauma patients visiting the emergency room.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.199-212
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• 2001

This research, aiming at analyzing the Emergency Medical Technicians' duties prior to establishing a baseline for question development in the national exams to qualify for the EMTs, investigated the importance and frequency per unit specified in the description with the EMTs to be subjects working on the task spot by means of questionnaires. The EMT duties were classified into 9 items like 1) the notification and response, 2) the scene size-up, 3) the patient assessment, 4) the emergency care, 5) the patient transport, 6) the duties at hospital clinics, 7) the operational management, 8) the receiving and responding to a call, 9) the self-development, and put the functional tasks into 52 items, describing the task elements into 177 items, and then questioned 112 EMTs working on the spot from July 21 through August 30, 2000, which showed the following results. 1) The distribution of subjects' career showed the highest rate with 33.9% for those who careered "less than a year", only 13.4% for those with more than 4 years and the highest rate with 43.8% for those who aged at 20-25. And 70.5% of all those who were questioned was the junior college graduates, 58.9% for those working at fire station and 29.5% working at hospital clinics. 2) Looking at the distribution of frequency and importance for each task element, questioning 'the patients main symptoms', 'accidental type', 'place of the patients identification' showed the highest rate in both frequency and importance in the field of "notification and response". 3) In the "scene size-up", identifying the patients showed the highest rate of frequency and importance, compared to other field of tasks, among which "identifying the patients' state" showed the highest rate of frequency (2.66) and importance (2.81). 4) In the "patient assessment", "identifying the patients" showed the high rate of frequency and importance in most elements of task, especially the importance showed the highest rate with 2.83 for the task of airway management and the cervical immobilization during "the primary assessment", and the frequency showed the highest rate for questioning the past case of the task of grasping the patients' history. 5) In the "emergency care", "the management of the heart attacked patients" and "the advanced cardiac life support" showed a high rate in the importance, whereas the frequency showed a very low rate. The high rate of frequency during the emergent task was the management of "musculoskeletal system injury patients" and of "the gastro-intestinal and urinary genital system injury patient support." In care of the patients with heart attack, the management of the airway showed the highest rate with 2.95, whereas the management of alcoholic abused patients and of dying patients, showed comparatively lower rate of assessment in the importance. The frequency of tasks showed the highest rate with 2.69 in the control of bleeding and the lowest with 0.47 in the management of abnormal delivery of child. 6) As to the patient transport, "the emergency transport" showed the highest rate with 2.74 and the unemergent transport with 2.55 in the importance, and the task importance at hospital showed the highest rate with 2.89 in managing the cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and with 2.60 in identifying the patient state. 7) Of all the tasks related with "operational task", the high importance was to "educate for the management of the first responder", but the frequency of tasks mostly showed a low rate and "receiving and responding to a call" showed relatively a high rate of importance and frequency. And related with "the self-development", "the health care management" and "the stress control" on working spot showed a high rate, but the frequency mostly showed a low rate.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.58 no.10
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• pp.380-385
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• 2015

Purpose: Croup is a common pediatric respiratory illness with symptoms of varying severity. Moreover, epiglottitis is a rare disease that can rapidly progress to life-threatening airway obstruction. Although the clinical course and treatments differ between croup and epiglottitis, they are difficult to differentiate on presentation. We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics of croup and epiglottitis in Emergency Department patients. Methods: The 2012 National Emergency Department Information System database of 146 Korean Emergency Departments was used to investigate patients aged ${\leq}18years$ presenting with croup or epiglottitis. Results: We analyzed 19,374 croup patients and 236 epiglottitis patients. The male:female sex ratios were 1.9:1 and 2.3:1 and mean ages were $2.2{\pm}2.0$ and $5.6{\pm}5.8years$, respectively. The peak incidence of croup was observed in July and that of epiglottitis was observed in May. The hospitalization rate was lower in croup than in epiglottitis patients, and the proportion of patients treated in the intensive care unit was lower among croup patients. The 3 most common chief complaints in both croup and epiglottitis patients were cough, fever, and dyspnea. Epiglottitis patients experienced dyspnea, sore throat, and vomiting more often than croup patients (P<0.05). Conclusion: Both groups had similar sex ratios, arrival times, 3 most common chief complaints, and 5 most common comorbidities. Epiglottitis patients had a lower incidence rate, higher mean age of onset, and higher hospitalization rate and experienced dyspnea, sore throat, and vomiting more often than croup patients. Our results may help in the differential diagnosis of croup and epiglottitis.

• Clinical and Experimental Emergency Medicine
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.148-157
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• 2016

Objective Our aim was to compare the compression quality, exercise intensity, and energy expenditure in 5-minute single-rescuer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) using 15:1 or 30:2 compression-to-ventilation (C:V) ratios or chest compression only (CCO). Methods This was a randomized, crossover manikin study. Medical students were randomized to perform either type of CPR and do the others with intervals of at least 1 day. We measured compression quality, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) score, heart rate, maximal oxygen uptake, and energy expenditure during CPR. Results Forty-seven students were recruited. Mean compression rates did not differ between the 3 groups. However, the mean percentage of adequate compressions in the CCO group was significantly lower than that of the 15:1 or 30:2 group ($31.2{\pm}30.3%$ vs. $55.1{\pm}37.5%$ vs. $54.0{\pm}36.9%$, respectively; P<0.001) and the difference occurred within the first minute. The RPE score in each minute and heart rate change in the CCO group was significantly higher than those of the C:V ratio groups. There was no significant difference in maximal oxygen uptake between the 3 groups. Energy expenditure in the CCO group was relatively lower than that of the 2 C:V ratio groups. Conclusion CPR using a 15:1 C:V ratio may provide a compression quality and exercise intensity comparable to those obtained using a 30:2 C:V ratio. An earlier decrease in compression quality and increase in RPE and heart rate could be produced by CCO CPR compared with 15:1 or 30:2 C:V ratios with relatively lower oxygen uptake and energy expenditure.