• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.136-140
• /
• 2021

We present a case of delayed diagnosis of traumatic tricuspid valve rupture in a patient who was emergently brought to the operating room for repair of lacerations to the heart and liver without intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Initial postoperative transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) did not show structural pathology. One week later, TTE with better image quality showed severe tricuspid regurgitation. Subsequently, TEE clearly demonstrated rupture of the anterior papillary muscle and flail anterior tricuspid leaflet. The case description is followed by a brief discussion of the utility of TEE in the setting of blunt thoracic trauma.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.178-181
• /
• 2011

Congenital anomalies in arches of the atlas are rare, and are usually discovered incidentally. However, a very rare subgroup of patients with unique radiographic features is predisposed to transient quadriparesis after minor cervical or head trauma, A 46-year-old male presented with a 2-month history of tremor and hyperesthesia of the lower extremities after experiencing a minor head trauma. He said that he had been quadriplegic for about 2 weeks after that trauma. Radiographs of his cervical spine revealed bilateral bony defects of the lateral aspects of the posterior arch of C1 and a midline cleft within the anterior arch of the atlas. A magnetic resonance imaging revealed an increased cord signal at the C2 level on the T2-weighted sagittal image. A posterior, suboccipital midline approach for excision of the remnant posterior tubercle was performed. The patient showed significant improvement of his motor and sensory functions. Since major neurologic deficits can be produced by a minor trauma, it is crucial to recognize this anomaly.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.399-407
• /
• 2018

Objective: Regionalization is one of the principal subjects for the advancement of rural emergency medical service systems in South Korea. This study shows the characteristics of interhospital transfer and status of the incidence of three major emergency disorders (acute myocardial infarction [AMI], acute stroke, and severe trauma) in one local province. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted for patients with three major emergency disorders who visited emergency medical facilities in one local province from January 2013 to December 2015, on the basis of the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) data. Results: The incidence of three major emergency disorders had increased annually. Patients with each of these disorders tended to choose distinguishing methods of visiting emergency medical facilities. AMI patients tended to visited emergency medical facilities using private cars or on foot, while severe trauma patients usually visited by 119 ambulance, and acute stroke patients used 119 ambulance and private car in similar amounts. Overall, 65% of AMI patients were treated in intraregional medical facilities, but about 70% of acute stoke and severe trauma patients were transferred outside of the region. Conclusion: Because each of these disorders has an individual characteristic, it is difficult to expect a solution for the problems associated with emergency disorders just by assuring the availability of medical resources. Based on regionalization, a policy to provide the optimal treatment for those emergency disorders should be developed by planning public medical service systems based on the individual characteristics of emergency disorders, the standardized transfer plans of emergency patients and the assurance for mobilization and sharing of confined medical resources.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.6-15
• /
• 2010

Purpose: Trauma is one of the leading causes of death, especially among young people. Life-threatening conditions are very common in multiple-traumatized patients due to concurrent multi-organ injuries. Treating such severely injured patients is time critical. However, in Korea, the transfer of severely injured patients is not uncommon due to the lack of a mature trauma care system. In developed countries, the preventable trauma death rate is very low, but the rate is still very high in Korea. This study's objective was to demonstrate the current serious state in which severely injured patients have to be transferred from a Regional Emergency Medical Center even though it actually serves as a trauma center. Methods: Ajou University Medical Center is a tertiary hospital that serves as a trauma center in Gyeonggido. The medical records at Ajou University Medical Center for a 1-year period from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2008, were retrospectively reviewed. A severely injured patient was defined as a patient who showed more than 15 point on the ISS (injury severity score) scale. We investigated the clinical characteristics of such patients and the causes of transfer. Results: Out of 81,718 patients who visited the Regional Emergency Medical Center, 19,731 (24.1%) were injured patients. Among them, 108 severely-injured patients were transferred from one Regional Emergency Medical Center to other hospitals. The male-to-female ratio was about 3.5:1, and the mean ISS was 23.08. The most common mechanism of injury was traffic accidents (41.7%). A major cause of transfer was the shortage of intensive care units (44.4%); another was for emergent operation (27.8%). Most of the hospitals that received the severely-injured patients were secondary hospitals (86.1%). Conclusion: Although the Regional Emergency Medical Center played a role as a trauma center, actually, severely-injured patients had to be transferred to other hospitals for several reasons. Most reasons were related with the deficiencies in the trauma care system. If a mature trauma care system is well-organized, the numbers of transfer of severely injured patients will be reduced significantly.

• Anxiety and mood
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.71-79
• /
• 2018

Objective : Several earlier studies have reported similar symptoms in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have been repeatedly exposed to relevant media after disasters and trauma. This study aimed to examine the effects of indirect trauma experience through media rather than direct traumatic events on an individual's social life. Methods : Five hundred and fifty-four individuals participated in our online, self-reported questionnaire survey. All subjects were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire, Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Korean version of Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, Patient Health Questionnaire-15, Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised. Participants were assessed in regards to their experience of violent media exposure within the past three months. Results : Data from our study indicates that the group exposed to violent media had significantly higher perceived stress, physical symptoms, insomnia, and suicide ideation in comparison to the control group. Among the major symptoms of PTSD, the proportion of intrusion symptoms was relatively high in the media exposed group. Conclusion : This suggests that indirect trauma caused by media exposure could cause post-traumatic stress symptoms. The PTSD caused by indirect trauma may have slight differences from the PTSD caused by direct trauma. Therefore, it is necessary to understand, prevent, and control the adverse effects of media.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.95-97
• /
• 2011

Purpose: We analyzed the medical costs for severely traumatized patients according to the severity and medical performance so that we could improve the financial balance of the trauma center. Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on patients visiting SNUH Trauma Center from May 2011 to August 2011. Among a total of 55 severely traumatized patients, 31 patients whose medical bills were available and categorized were included in this study. The injury severity score (ISS) was calculated from the abbreviated injury score (AIS), which was updated in 2008,for each patient to assess the severity of injury. Major trauma was defined as an ISS above 15. Results:The 31 patients in this study included 20 males and 11 females. The average ISS was $33.23{\pm}16.65$ points. We categorize the patients into three groups according to ISS, 16-24: group 1, 25-40: group 2, and above 41: group 3. Total incomes, admission fees, surgery fees, and imaging test fees are shown in table 1. The costs seem to be higher costs in group 2, but this result has no statistical significance. Statistical significantly data are as follows: high radiologic test fees in group 1, short hospital stay in groups 1 and 2, and short ICU stay in group 1. The average hospital stay was 17 days, and the average emergency intensive care unit (EICU) stay was 7.5 days. Although the EICU stay was only 44% of the total hospital stay, the income from the EICU covers 79.4% of the total hospital income. Conclusion: From this study, we found several items that show relatively high medical income from severely traumatized patients visiting the SNUH Trauma Center. Most of the medical fees arise in the early phase of acute medicine usually in the ICU. Efforts to identify the items with high income and to minimize expenses will improve the financial structure of the Trauma Center,which is facing a budget crisis.

• Archives of Craniofacial Surgery
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.147-150
• /
• 2015

Impalement injury is the subset of penetrating trauma, defined as fixed, elongated objects penetrate and remain in the human body cavity or region by relatively low velocity. We report an unusual case of facial and neck impalement where two dirty rusted iron bars penetrated forehead bilaterally and exited neck and ear respectively without causing major organ injuries. After thorough radiologic and physical evaluation, the patient got medical and surgical treatment. The patient was discharged without complication after four day of delayed wound closure. There have been no complications and sequelaes related with trauma, wound infection and scar contracture at 3-year follow-up. According to affected organs and pattern of impalement, individualized and multidisciplinary surgical approach should be considered. Following these guidelines as in this case, it was possible to achieve excellent clinical outcome in impalement injury.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.51 no.4
• /
• pp.237-239
• /
• 2012

Simultaneous intracranial and spinal subdural hematomas are extremely rare. In most cases, they are attributed to major or minor trauma and iatrogenic causes, such as those resulting from spinal puncture. To the best of the authors' knowledge, there has been only two reports of spontaneous concomitant intracranial and spinal subdural hematomas in a patient receiving anticoagulant therapy who had an absence of evident trauma history. We report on a case of spontaneous concomitant intracranial and spinal subdural hematomas that occurred in association with anticoagulant therapy and present a review of the relevant literature.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.115-117
• /
• 2022

"Whiplash"-type injuries are commonly encountered and often cause neck pain, neck stiffness, and headaches. However, these injuries can have rare and poorly recognized complications, such as the development of a prevertebral hematoma leading to acute respiratory failure in the emergency department, followed by severe, life-threatening dysphagia and recurrent aspirations. In the patient described herein, a whiplash injury was accompanied by vocal cord paralysis and dysphonia (vagus nerve), dysgeusia (glossopharyngeal nerve, vagus nerve), and upper esophageal spasm (cricopharyngeal muscle, vagus nerve). It is unlikely that this was a complication of cervical fusion surgery. Instead, a combined stretch-induced lower cranial nerve injury, possibly on the exit of these nerves through the jugular foramen, seems to be a likely, but underappreciated mechanism occurring in rare instances of whiplash injuries.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.57-60
• /
• 2021

Warfarin is used as part of the treatment of various diseases, and laboratory monitoring of its effects is required. Airway hematoma secondary to warfarin is rare, but can be fatal because of potential airway obstruction. Rapid definitive airway establishment is crucial if airway obstruction is suspected. This complication is more likely to occur in those with elevated coagulation laboratory values. However, we experienced a patient in whom a massive retropharyngeal hematoma caused airway obstruction after a non-severe motor vehicle collision. The patient had been taking warfarin, and had coagulation parameter values within the normal ranges. A major fracture or hemorrhage was not anticipated. Upon examination, a massive retropharyngeal hematoma was noted. Orotracheal intubation failed due to an airway obstruction. Emergency tracheostomy and an operation for hematoma removal were performed. Physicians must always consider the possibility of airway hematoma in warfarin-taking patients with normal coagulation values regardless of the severity of mechanism of injury.