• 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).

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.55-63
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• 2020

Purpose: This study aimed to establish effective training strategies and methods by comparing the effects of 360° virtual reality video and first-person video in non-face-to-face practical lectures. Methods: This crossover study, implemented May 18-31, 2020, included 27 participants. We compared 360° virtual reality video and first-person video. SPSS version 25.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: The 360° virtual reality video had a higher score of experience recognition (p=.039), vividness (p=.045), presence (p=.000), fantasy factor (p=.000) than the first-person video, but no significant difference was indicated for satisfaction (p=.348) or interest (p=.441). Conclusion: 360° virtual reality video and first-person video can be used as training alternatives to achieve the standard educational objectives in non-face-to-face practical lectures.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.18-26
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• 2014

Deep sedation is considered for the dental treatment of pediatric or disabled patients who have severe anxiety or involuntary movement. Deep sedation using sevoflurane inhalation in emergency dental practice, therefore, is also preferred for fast induction and recovery. This survey consists of 121 people with pediatric or disabled patients who underwent dental treatment under deep sedation using sevoflurane inhalation from January 2013 to October 2013. Patients who were scheduled for deep sedation were classified into a non-emergency sevoflurane sedation group, whereas patients who underwent emergency sedation due to trauma and patients with disabled characteristics itself were classified into an emergency sevoflurane sedation group. Of 121 patients studied, 95 patients received dental care under non-emergency sedation, 26 patients received dental care under emergency sevoflurane sedation. The two groups were analyzed according to: gender; age; primary reason for sedation; duration of sedation; treatment time; induction methods; treatment information; and departments. Non-emergency sevoflurane sedation in pediatric or disabled patients was safe and effective for controlling the behavior. Emergency sevoflurane sedation was a useful method for younger pediatric patients with traumatic injury who need simple, short time emergency treatment. Deep sedation using sevoflurane inhalation not only will reduce the use of general anesthesia gradually but also will be a useful method to emergency treatment for pediatric or disabled patients.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.412-425
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• 2003

According to the results of related studies, one of the typical factors related to procedure related human errors is the complexity of procedures. This means that comparing the change of the operators' behavior with respect to the complexity of procedures may be meaningful in clarifying the reasons for the operators' non-compliance behavior. In this study, to obtain data related to the operators' non-compliance behavior, emergency training records were collected using a full scope simulator. And three types of the operators' behavior (such as strict adherence, skipping redundant actions and modifying action sequences) observed from the collected emergency training records were compared with the complexity of the procedural steps. As the results, two remarkable relationships are obtained. They are: 1) the operators seem to frequently adopt non-compliance behavior to conduct the procedural steps that have an intermediate procedural complexity, 2) the operators seems to accommodate their non-compliance behavior to the complexity of the procedural steps. Therefore, it is expected that these relationships can be used as meaningful clues not only to scrutinize the reason for non-compliance behavior but also to suggest appropriate remedies for the reduction of non-compliance behavior that can result in procedure related human error.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.54-62
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare prescription patterns and clinical features according to clinical departments in sedative-hypnotic intoxication. Methods: This was a retrospective study of histories, substances of poisoning, acquisition routes, clinical courses, and outcomes of patients treated for acute intoxication in a single emergency medical center from January, 2011 to December, 2013. Results: A total of 769 patients were treated for acute intoxication, 281 patients ingested sedative hypnotics during the study period. Among 281 patients, 155 patients were prescribed by psychiatric department and 80 patients were prescribed by non-psychiatric department. Benzodiazepines were more likely to be prescribed by psychiatrists, and zolpidem was preferred by non-psychiatrists (p<0.001). Non-psychiatrists were more likely to prescribe short acting benzodiazepines than psychiatrists (p<0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the clinical outcomes, including prevalence of admission to ICU, ventilator care, and length of stay in ICU. In patients prescribed by non-psychiatrists, there were more patients prescribed without psychiatric diagnosis and diagnosed as major depression disorder after hospitalization. Conclusion: To promote rational prescribing of sedative hypnotics, proper psychiatric evaluation should be performed before prescribing, and educational programs including the contents of interactions and side effects of sedative hypnotics are needed.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.131-134
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• 2007

The emergence of anticoagulant rodenticides in the 1950's resulted in an epochal reduction in the use of all other agents. It is estimated that anticoagulant rodenticides constitute 95 percent of all rodenticides now in use. However, the advent of rodent resistance to these agents has led to a return to use of some other non-anticoagulant types of rodenticides. Older non-anticoagulant rodenticides have been stored in basements, garages, and barns and are still in use in some regions of the United States and in other countries. We report a case of non-anticoagulant rodenticide (beta-fluoroethyl acetate) poisoning.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was to investigate the resuscitation outcomes and the clinical characteristics of non-traumatic drug-induced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by analyzing data from a single institution's registry. Method: We conducted a retrospective study of 795 patients who came to the emergency department with non-traumatic drug-induced out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the period $1991{\~}2004$. Only patients over 18 years of age were included. Clinical characteristics. variables associated with cardiac arrest, and data during resuscitation were obtained from our cardiac arrest database. Patients were divided into two groups: drug-induced cardiac arrest (drug group, n=33), and non drug-induced cardiac arrest (non-drug group, n=762). Results: Spontaneous circulation was restored in 23 ($72{\%}$) patients in the drug group and in 314 ($45{\%}$) patients in the non-drug group ($x^2=0.020$). The patients who discharged alive number were 46 ($6{\%}$) in the non-drug group and 0 ($0{\%}$) in the drug group ($x^2=0.005$). The witnessed arrest, the epinephrine doses, and total defibrillation energy were not different between two groups. Conclusion: The return of spontaneous circulation rate was higher in the drug group than the non-drug group. However the drug group was lower survival discharge rate than in the non-drug group.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2015

Purpose: Many patients who are acutely poisoned with organophosphorus pesticides have co-ingested alcohol. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence mortality in organophosphate intoxication and the differences between alcohol coingested patients and non-coingested patients, looking at vital signs, length of admission, cholinesterase activity, complications, and mortality. Methods: All patients visiting one Emergency Department (ED) with organophosphate intoxication between January 2000 and December 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups, alcohol coingested group and non-coingested group. Results: During the study period, 136 patients (alcohol coingested group, 95 patients; non-coingested group, 41 patients) presented to the ED with organophosphate intoxication. Seventy-one alcohol coingested patients (74.1%) vs. 16 non-coingested patients (39.0%) received endotracheal intubation, with results of the analysis showing a clear distinction between the two groups (p=0.001). Twenty-three alcohol coingested patients (24.2%) vs. 1 non-coingested patient (2.4%) required inotropics, indicating a significant gap (p=0.002). Twenty-eight alcohol coingested patients (29.5%) vs. 2 non-coingested patients (4.9%) died, with results of the analysis showing a clear distinction between the two groups (p=0.002). Conclusion: In cases of organophosphate intoxication, alcohol coingested patients tended to receive endotracheal intubation, went into shock, developed central nervous system complications, and more died.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.465-473
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• 2018

Objective: We evaluated the clinical characteristics and prognoses of patients with septic shock who transferred to the emergency department (ED) in a tertiary referral center. Methods: This study was performed using a prospective, multi-center registry of septic shock, with the participation of 11 tertiary referral centers in the Korean Shock Society between October 2015 and February 2017. We classified the patients as a transferred group who transferred from other hospitals after meeting the inclusion criteria upon ED arrival and a non-transferred group who presented directly to the ED. Primary outcome was hospital mortality. We conducted multiple logistic regression analysis to assess variables related to in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 2,098 patients were included, and we assigned 717 patients to the transferred group and 1,381 patients to the non-transferred group. The initial Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score was higher in the transferred group than the non-transferred group (6; interquartile range [IQR], 4-9 vs. 6; IQR, 4-8; P<0.001). Mechanical ventilator (29% vs. 21%, P<0.001) and renal replacement therapy (12% vs. 9%, P=0.034) within 24 hours after ED arrival were more frequently applied in the transferred group than the non-transferred group. Overall hospital mortality was 22% and there was no significant difference between transferred and non-transferred groups (23% vs. 22%, P=0.820). Multivariable analysis showed an odds ratio for in-hospital mortality of 1.00 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.28; P=0.999) for the transferred group compared with the non-transferred group. Conclusion: The transferred group showed higher severity and needed more organ support procedures than the non-transferred group. However, inter-hospital transfer did not affect in-hospital mortality.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2006

Purpose: This study aims to examine characteristics and actual conditions of patients using emergency room at farming and fishing villages, solve overcrowding of emergency room at the tertiary hospital and activate local emergency clinics. Methods: It examines department of diagnosis and treatment, vehicles used, sex, age, residential area, visit hour, length of stay, presence or absence of trauma, measures after first aid and degree of severity based on medical records of 6,740 patients using emergency room at farming and fishing villages from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2005. Conclusion : 1. Sex distribution of patients of emergency room was male 54.9% and female 45.1% and age distribution between over 40 and below 50 was most as 15.9%. 2. Transport means to emergency room were 91.4 of private car and others (public transport and going on foot), 7.5 of 119, 129 and police car and 1.0% of ambulance. 3. According to distribution of residential areas of emergency patients, 38.9% were Eup area, 42.1% Myeon area, 11.4% distant area and 7.5% adjacent area. 4. According to distribution of emergency patients by department of diagnosis and treatment, internal medicine was most as 35.8% and 55% of patients visited emergency room from 3:31 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.. 5. According to total hours of diagnosis and treatment of subjects, 51.2% were within 30min. and cases of non-trauma disease were 68.2%. 6. According to degree of emergency of emergency patients, non-emergency cases were 65.3%, urgent cases 27.7% and emergency cases 7.0% and 74.2% of patients returned home after first aid and 20.6% of them hospitalized. In conclusion, characteristics and diversification of patients should be examined and efforts by government and local medical institutions which must organize emergency system and facility and personnel levels suitable to regional conditions are needed in order to prevent overcrowding of emergency center of the tertiary hospital and activate local emergency center.