• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.50-56
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• 2014

Purpose: Rollover motor vehicle crashes have a higher injury severity and fatality than other motor vehicle crash types. From a left-quarter turn rollover accident of 25-passenger bus, we intend to assess the injury of the occupant and the injury severities according to the occupants' position. Methods: We carried out the 3 steps investigation of occupants' interview, visiting the repair shop and using the police report. We analyzed injuries sustained by occupants, and compared injury severities considering column, row in occupant's position and passenger interaction Results: The rollover involved 14 passengers in the bus who were all old women except a man driver. The most common injury was in the upper extremity, with six occurrences being a left clavicle fracture. Major injuries including hemothorax and pneumothorax were diagnosed at left side of the occupant. In the comparison of injury severity among driver's column (left side), mid column and passengercolumn, ISS of passenger column was the highest ($9.9{\pm}7.4$, $8.8{\pm}5.5$, and $10.3{\pm}4.0$, respectively, p>0.05). The injury severity of multiple occupants by row was higher than that of single occupant (10.8 vs. 3, p<0.05). Conclusion: An occupant must fasten their seat belt to prevent an injury by passenger interaction in the left-quarter turn rollover accident of a bus.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.99-103
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• 2013

Purpose: This hospital has operated a trauma system of the inclusive trauma system under the sponsorship of this hospital and with financial support from the government from 2011, and it has been designated as a specialized trauma center (candidate) since November 2008. Therefore, this emergency medical center evaluated the influence of the inclusive trauma system on the course of healing and on the results for trauma patients within the region. Methods: The medical records of all patients who were registered as trauma patients from among those who visited the emergency medical center of this hospital from April 2009 to May 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. The monthly and the annual averages of important indices, such as the time in the emergency room and preventable mortalities, were calculated, and patterns of change were sought. The preventable mortality rate was calculated by using the Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS) for each patient. Results: The total number of patients registered from April 2009 to May 2012 was 601, and male patients accounted for a larger proportion(432 males(71.88%) vs. 169 females(28.12%)). Their average age was 46.2 years, the average Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was 5.74 points, and the average Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 26.99 points. The preventable mortality rate during the entire period, which was calculated using the TRISS, appeared lower than the preventable mortality rates reported in past studies in the Republic of Korea. Conclusion: These results for the operation of a new trauma system are limited in that they are only for a local private university hospital. However, results show greater changes and developments in and out of the hospital due to multilateral endeavors by the trauma team and the hospital. These endeavors include increased communications among the departments and development of a complementary patient registration system.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.37-48
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• 2021

Purpose: Mortality due to trauma is relevant to both low-income and high-income countries. A diversity of causes leads to mortality such as, socioeconomic status and geographic factors. This study sought to differentiate between cases of mortality in a metropolitan city and a rural area, with data from critical trauma patients. Methods: Community-based severe trauma surveillance data from 2018 was used in this study. Logistic regression was conducted to compare the odds ratios between deaths that occurred in a metropolitan city and a rural area. Multiple logistic regression by controlling variables such as type of medical institution and injury severity score was conducted to estimate the effect on the trauma patients. Results: In total, 28,217 participants were selected as total population. We observed that the odds of death decreased as the level of the trauma center increased. Compared to the metropolitan city, the odds ratio of rural areas was 1.44. The odds ratio increased as the injury severity score increased. Conclusion: This study suggests that the mortality of critical trauma patients is higher in rural areas than in metropolitan cities. More studies are needed to expand on this.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.124-131
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• 2021

Background: Sciatic nerve injury due to intramuscular injection (SNIII) is still a health problem. This study aimed to determine whether there is a correlation between neuropathic pain and electrodiagnostic findings in SNIII. Methods: Patients whose clinical and electrodiagnostic findings were compatible with SNIII participated in this retrospective cohort study. Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitudes of the sural, superficial peroneal, peroneal, and tibial nerves were graded from 1 to 4. Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs scale (LANSS) was applied to all patients. Results: Forty-eight patients were included in the study, 67% of whom had a LANSS score ≥ 12. Sural SNAP amplitude abnormalities were present in 8 (50%) out of 16 patients with a LANSS score < 12, and 28 (87.5%) out of 32 patients with a LANSS score ≥ 12, with significant differences between the groups (P = 0.011). There was a positive correlation between the LANSS score and the sural SNAP amplitude grading (P = 0.001, r = 0.476). A similar positive correlation was also found in the LANSS score and the tibial nerve CMAP amplitude grading (P = 0.004, r = 0.410). Conclusions: This study showed a positive correlation between the severity of tibial nerve CMAP/sural SNAP amplitude abnormality and LANSS score in SNIII. Neuropathic pain may be more common in SNIII patients with sural nerve SNAP amplitude abnormality.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.89-98
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• 2013

Purpose: The assessment of trauma patients in the prehospital setting is difficult, but appropriate field triage is critical to the prognosis of trauma patients. We sought to evaluate the triage given by the emergency medical technicians (EMTs) using the trauma score to patients injured in motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). Methods: From June 2012 to July 2012, questionnaires were distributed to EMTs, who had transported injured patients to the study hospital. Scene records, photos of the damaged vehicle, and ambulance run sheets were used to provide physiologic, physical, and mechanistic information about the MVC. To evaluate the appropriateness of the injury assessment by EMTs, we compared their impressions with the hospital's final diagnosis within a 3 level triage system comprising both the maximum abbreviated injury scale (MAIS) and the injury severity score (ISS). Kappa (k) was calculated to evaluate the agreement between the triage by EMTs and the triage based on hospital's final diagnosis. Results: A total of 91 patients were analyzed by 31 EMTs. The percentage of males was 57.1%, the mean age was 44.5, and the mean MAIS and ISS were 2.7 and 16.6 respectively. While EMTs correctly diagnosed patient injuries to the extremities in 35.7%, and to the neck in 32.1%, pelvic injuries were missed in 80.0%. The agreement between the triage by the EMTs and the triage based on the hospital's final diagnosis was 62.6%(k=0.366) by the MAIS and 50.5%(k=0.234) by the ISS. The kappa value was higher in EMT-I than in EMT-II. Conclusion: In MVC, the assessment of injured patients by EMT-I was more appropriate, and the 3-level triage method based on the MAIS could contribute to a more accurate triage. Prospective studies to search for appropriate methods of field triage are required for programming practical education for EMTs.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.329-336
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• 2023

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to compare the characteristics of patients with trauma by age group in a single center in Korea to identify the clinical characteristics and analyze the risk factors affecting mortality. Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years who visited the Chungbuk National University Hospital Regional Trauma Center between January 2016 and December 2022 were included. The accident mechanism, severity of the injury, and outcomes were compared by classifying the patients into group A (18-64 years), group B (65-79 years), and group C (≥80 years). In addition, logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors affecting death. Results: The most common injury mechanism was traffic accidents in group A (40.9%) and slipping in group B (37.0%) and group C (56.2%). Although group A had the highest intensive care unit admission rate (38.0%), group C had the highest mortality rate (9.5%). In the regression analysis, 3 to 8 points on the Glasgow Coma Scale had the highest odds ratio for mortality, and red blood cell transfusion within 24 hours, intensive care unit admission, age, and Injury Severity Score were the predictors of death. Conclusions: For patients with trauma, the mechanism, injured body region, and severity of injury differed among the age groups. The high mortality rate of elderly patients suggests the need for different treatment approaches for trauma patients according to age. Identifying factors affecting clinical patterns and mortality according to age groups can help improve the prognosis of trauma patients in the future.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2005

Background: Falls are a major cause of emergency room visits. Injury secondary to falls is a largely preventable public health problem. This study helps to better understand the epidemiology of falls from height, then develops prevention strategies. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 192 patients admitted to the emergency department of Konyang university hospital with a history of falls from January 2004 to December 2004. Collected data included the patient's age, gender, height of fall and method, outcome of management, Injury Severity Score(ISS). Results: According to the characteristics of height of fall, the ISS was higher when the patient fell from height of 2 meters or more($13.79{\pm}12.17$) than not($8.13{\pm}9.25$)(p<0.05). There were positive correlation between mean age and ISS(p<0.001, r=0.7). To gender, ISS was higher in the male group($12.73{\pm}11.78$) than the female group($8.48{\pm}10.00$)(p<0.05). Conclusion: Falls often results from multiple concurrent problems including environmental and behavioral factors. This study suggests that we need to improve the occupational environment, especially above 2meters, for decreasing injuries of fall from heights. Also we consider the prevention of children from injuries of fall from heights.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.104-107
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• 2015

Purpose: Nitric oxide (NO) is a vasodilator and inhaled NO (iNO) is used in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to improve alveolocapillary gas exchange. The mechanism to improve oxygenation is likely to redistribute blood flow from unventilated areas to ventilated areas. Though improvement of oxygenation, iNO therapy has not been shown to improve mortality and considered as only rescue therapy in severe hypoxemia. We conducted the study to investigate an efficacy of iNO in trauma patients with severe hypoxemia. Methods: We reviewed the trauma patients who underwent iNO therapy retrospectively from 2010 to 2014. Degree of hypoxemia was represented as $PaO_2/FiO_2$ ratio (PFR) and the severity of patient was represented with sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score. Patients were divided into the survivor group and non-survivor group according to the 28-day mortality. Results: A total of 20 patients were enrolled. The mortality of 28-day was 40%. There were no significant differences between survivor and non-survivor group in age, sex, severity of injury, PFR and SOFA score. There was significant difference in initiation time of iNO after injury (p=0.047). Maximum combinations of sensitivity and specificity for timing of iNO therapy were observed using cut-off of 3-day after injury with a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 75%. Conclusion: Though iNO therapy does not influence the mortality, iNO therapy may decrease the mortality caused by respiratory failure in the early phase of trauma.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.72-78
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• 2012

Purpose: Clinical observation and research findings show that acute traumatic coagulopathy (ATC) is a major factor that must be addressed in the early care of severe trauma patients. ATC is associated with increased transfusion requirements and poor clinical outcomes. This study aimed to correlate the early predictable factors of ATC with the outcomes in severe trauma patients. Methods: Retrospective data from the trauma registry on severe trauma patients (Injury Severity Score (ISS) ${\geq}16$) were used to identify variables independently associated with coagulopathy. Univariate associations were calculated, and a multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine variables independently associated with ATC. Results: Patients were mostly male, aged $51.9{\pm}17.8$ years, with an injury severity score of $24.1{\pm}12.4$. ATC, as diagnosed in the emergency department (ED), occurred in 17% of the severe trauma patients. Using a multivariable logistic regression analysis, early predictable variables independently associated with ATC were base deficit (odds ratio (OR): 13.03; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.47-48.93), acute liver injury (OR: 4.24; 95% CI: 1.06-17.00), and transfer from another hospital (OR: 21.00; 95% CI: 3.23-136.60). Conclusion: ATC is associated with mortality in severe trauma patients, and some variables associated with trauma and shock are an independent predictors of ATC. These variables contribute to the early recognition and management of coagulopathy, which may improve the outcome from trauma resuscitation.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.248-254
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• 2022

Purpose: To analyze the data of trauma patients with undetected injuries at the time of initial resuscitation during the primary and secondary surveys. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 807 patients who were hospitalized at the National Trauma Center, Seoul, Korea from June 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021. Results: In trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score ≥16 accounted for 27.5% in the non-missed injury group (non-MIG), but this rate was considerably higher at 71.2% in MIG. The mean hospitalization longer in MIG (50.90±39.56) than in non-MIG (24.74±26.11). The proportion of patients with missed injuries detected through tertiary trauma survey (TTS) was 28 patients (23.5%) within 24 hours, 90 patients (75.6%) after 24 hours to before discharge. The majority of missed injuries were fractures (82.4%) and ligament tears (8.4%), which required consultation with the orthopedic department. The final diagnoses of missed injuries were confirmed by computed tomography (44.5%), magnetic resonance imaging (19.3%), X-ray (19.3%), bone scan (11.8%), and physical examination (5.0%). Conclusions: TTS is considered a useful process for detecting missed injuries that were not identified at the time of initial resuscitation in the primary and secondary surveys. In the future, to detect missed injuries quickly, it is necessary to develop a suitable TTS program for each trauma center. In addition, further research is needed to verify the effectiveness of the protocolized TTS and survey chart to improve the effectiveness of TTS.