• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2008

When man first walked on this planet, injury must have been a close encounter of the first kind. The outbreak of World War I, during a period of rapid scientific growth in the basic sciences, demonstrated the need to develop better methods of care for the wounded, methods that were later applicable to the civilian population. Trauma is a multisystem disease and, as such, benefits from almost any advance in medical science. As we learn more about the physiology and the biochemistry of various organ systems, we can provide better management for trauma victims. Improved imaging techniques, better appreciation of physiologic tolerance, and increased understanding of the side effects of specific surgical procedures have combined to reduce operative intervention as a component of trauma patient care. On the other hand, because of this rapid development of medical science, only a few doctors still have the ability to treat multisystem injuries because almost doctor has his or her specialty, which means a doctor tends to see only patients with diagnoses in the doctor's specialty. Trauma Surgeons are physicians who have completed the typical general surgery residency and who usually continue with a one to two year fellowship leading to additional board certification in Surgical Critical Care. It is important to note that trauma surgeons do not need to do all kinds of operations, such as neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery. Trauma surgeons are not only a surgeon but also general medical practitioners who are very good at critical care and coordination of patient. In order to achieve the best patient outcomes, trauma surgeons should be involved in prehospital Emergency Medical Services, the Trauma Resuscitation Room, the Operating Room, the Surgical Intensive Care and Trauma Unit, the Trauma Ward, the Rehabilitation Department, and the Trauma Outpatient Clinic. In conclusion, according to worldwide experience and research, the trauma surgeon is the key factor in the trauma care system, so the trauma surgeon should receive strong support to accomplish his or her role successfully.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.7-18
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest on the basis of Heart Saver laureate. Methods: This study aimed to investigate the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) outcomes and the clinical characteristics of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by analyzing the data of two regions. The data were prehospital emergency reports of 473 patients who survived for > 72 hours after ROSC in two region from January 2012 to December 2013. Results: Among the ROSC patients, 86.8% (G), 77.9% (S) were men and 72.9% (G), 67.9% (S) were of age 41~70 years, 87.6% (G), 82.9% (S) had a witnessed cardiac arrest; and 66.7% (G), 70.6% (S) received cardiopulmonary resuscitation from bystander. Of those who performed the resuscitation, paramedics in 89.1% (G), 89.8% (S). Furthermore, 119 emergency medical technicians were involved in 69.0% of two-rescue teams in G and in 90.4% of three-rescue team in S. Conclusion: Most heart savers were qualified paramedics, and three-rescuer-teams resulted in better survival rate than two-rescuer-teams.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.111-117
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• 2019

The purpose of this study was a convergence study to find a way to shorten pre-hospital emergency medical response time in vehicle accident. This study analyzed the factors of hospital emergency response time by utilizing weather, road type, accident type, and rescue response to 353 vehicle passengers who visited the three emergency medical centers from January 1, 2011 to July 30, 2016 in Korea In-Depth Accident Study. The results of the study showed that the highway used the most time to prehospital emergency medical response time and was a factor affecting the overall time (${\beta}=.543$, p<.001). In order to shorten the emergency medical response time in highway, the operation of emergency services on the highway, the active use of emergency turn road and the automatic emergency rescue service with individual devices were proposed.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.497-510
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• 2019

This study was conducted to identify the domains of the competencies of trauma nursing through a scoping review using the JBI(Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology. The keywords are trauma, $nurs^*$, $competenc^*$, $role^*$, attitude, and knowledge and skill. The review used information from six databases: CINAHL, Pubmed, ProQuest, Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified as strategies to use in this review. 8 studies were eligible for result extraction, as they listed domains of the competencies. These domains among studies were analyzed based on Trauma Care System and Lenburg's COPA(Competency Outcomes and Performance Assessment) model. Domains in 'Prehospital care & transport', 'Hospital care' and 'Rehabilitation' of Trauma Care System were present, but no domain in 'Injury prevention' was.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.7-27
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the compliance with the first standardization of the paramedic curriculum and suggest a second standardization to cultivate competent paramedics. Methods: This study was conducted by collecting 38 curricula, and responses to questionnaires, including those on the current status of prehospital field practice, from departments of emergency medical technology of 36 institutions. Data were collected between September 1 and November 30, 2019 via e-mail. Data were analyzed using SPSS v24.0 and NVivo 12.0. Results: Compliance with the first standardization of the paramedic curriculum was over 70% in only 11 on the 26 major subjects. The second standardization of the paramedic curriculum consists of 27 subjects requiring 76~79 credits for the 3-year course and 78~82 credits for the 4-year course. Conclusion: We suggested a minimum number of essential subjects to cultivate competent paramedics following the second standardization of the paramedic curriculum, and we hope colleges comply with this curriculum. Twenty to twenty-five percent of major subjects can be determined by the discretion of the college to maximize competency of paramedic students.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.47-58
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• 2023

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of patients who canceled their ED visits and to determine the factors that influence ED cancellation. Methods: Retrospective study that analyzed data from the electronic medical records(EMR) and Prehospital Care Reports(PCRs) of 305 patients who cancelled their appointments at a single emergency medical center over a six-month period from October 12, 2022, to April 12, 2023. Results: ED cancellations were 2.287 times higher if the patient presented to the ambulance after outpatient hours(09:00~17:00) (p=.007), and ED cancellations were 3.712 times higher if the patient presented to the ambulance under the influence of alcohol(p=.011). For patients' symptoms, medical diseases were associated with a 1.965 times increase in cancelled ED visits compared to other modes of transport (p=.005), while mental and chronic diseases were associated with a 67.3% decrease in cancelled ED visits compared to other modes of transport (OR=0.327, CI=[0.130-0.822], p=.018). symptomatic improvement was associated with a 2.482 times increase in presentations to a 119 ambulance compared to delayed waiting time(p=.022). Conclusion: Emergency medical centers should consider improving the legal system, such as increasing emergency medical care fees, to reduce the number of patients who cancel their appointments.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.354-361
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• 2023

Purpose: Ketamine has historically been contraindicated in traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to concern for raising intracranial pressure. However, it is increasingly being used in TBI due to the favorable respiratory and hemodynamic properties. To date, no studies have evaluated whether ketamine administered in subjects with TBI is associated with patient survival or disability. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from the multicenter Prehospital Tranexamic Acid Use for Traumatic Brain Injury trial, comparing ketamine-exposed and ketamine-unexposed TBI subjects to determine whether an association exists between ketamine administration and mortality, as well as secondary outcome measures. Results: We analyzed 841 eligible subjects from the original study, of which 131 (15.5%) received ketamine. Ketamine-exposed subjects were younger (37.3±16.9 years vs. 42.0±18.6 years, P=0.037), had a worse initial Glasgow Coma Scale score (7±3 vs. 8±4, P=0.003), and were more likely to be intubated than ketamine-unexposed subjects (88.5% vs. 44.2%, P<0.001). Overall, there was no difference in mortality (12.2% vs. 15.5%, P=0.391) or disability measures between groups. Ketamine-exposed subjects had significantly fewer instances of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) compared to ketamine-unexposed subjects (56.3% vs. 82.3%, P=0.048). In the very rare outcomes of cardiac events and seizure activity, seizure activity was statistically more likely in ketamine-exposed subjects (3.1% vs. 1.0%, P=0.010). In the intracranial hemorrhage subgroup, cardiac events were more likely in ketamine-exposed subjects (2.3% vs. 0.2%, P=0.025). Ketamine exposure was associated with a smaller increase in TBI protein biomarker concentrations. Conclusions: Ketamine administration was not associated with worse survival or disability despite being administered to more severely injured subjects. Ketamine exposure was associated with reduced elevations of ICP, more instances of seizure activity, and lower concentrations of TBI protein biomarkers.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.440-449
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• 2023

Background: This study aimed to analyze the prehospital process and reperfusion therapy process of acute ischemic stroke in Busan metropolitan area and examine the impact of living arrangement on the early management and functional outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: The patients who diagnosed with AIS and received reperfusion therapy at the Busan Regional Cardiovascular Center between September 2020 and May 2023 were selected. We investigated the patients' hospital arrival time (onset to door time) and utilization of 119 emergency ambulance services. Additionally, various time matrices related to reperfusion therapy after hospital were examined, along with the functional outcome at the 90-day after treatment. Results: Among the 753 AIS patients who underwent reperfusion therapy, 166 individuals (22.1%) were living alone. AIS patients living alone experienced significant delays in symptom detection (p<0.05) and hospital arrival compared to AIS patients with cohabitants (370.1 minutes vs. 210.2 minutes, p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of 119 ambulance utilization and time metrics related with the reperfusion therapy. Independent predictors of prognosis in AIS patients were found to be age above 70, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, tissue plasminogen activator, living alone (odds ratio [OR], 1.785; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.155-2.760) and interhospital transfer (OR, 1.898; 95% CI, 1.152-3.127). Delay in identification of AIS was shown significant correlation (OR, 2.440; 95% CI, 1.070-5.561) at living alone patients. Conclusion: This study revealed that AIS patients living alone in the Busan metropolitan region, requiring endovascular treatment, face challenges in the pre-hospital phase, which significantly impact their prognosis.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2024

Purpose: Massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) implementation improves clinical outcomes of the patient's resuscitation with hemorrhagic trauma. Various predictive scoring system have been used and studied worldwide to improve clinical decision. However, such research has not yet been studied in Korea. This systematic review aimed to assess the predictors of MTPs activation in patients with trauma in Korea. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Research Information Sharing Service databases, KoreaMed, and KMbase were searched from November 2022. All studies conducted in Korea that utilized predictors of MTPs activation in adult patients with trauma were included. Results: Ten articles were eligible for analysis, and the predictors were assessed. Clinical assessments such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, shock index (SI), prehospital modified SI, modified early warning system (MEWS) and reverse SI multiplied by the Glasgow Coma Scale (rSIG) were used. Laboratory values such as lactate level, fibrinogen degradation product/fibrinogen ratio, and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) were used. Imaging examinations such as pelvic bleeding score were used as predictors of MTPs activation. Conclusions: Our systematic review identified predictors of MTPs activation in patients with trauma in Korea; predictions were performed using tools that requires clinical assessments, laboratory values or imaging examinations only. Among them, ROTEM, rSIG, MEWS, SI, and lactate level showed good effects for predictions of MTPs activation. The application of predictors for MTP's activation should be individualized based on hospital resource and skill set, also should be performed as a clinical decision supporting tools.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.74-78
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• 2024

Inferior vena cava (IVC) injuries can have fatal outcomes and are associated with high mortality rates. Patients with IVC injuries require multiple procedures, including prehospital care, surgical techniques, and postoperative care. We present the case of a 67-year-old woman who stabbed herself in the abdomen with a knife, resulting in an infrarenal IVC injury. We shortened the transfer time by transporting the patient using a helicopter and decided to perform direct-to-operating room resuscitation by a trauma physician in the helicopter. The patient underwent laparotomy with IVC ligation for damage control during the first operation. The second- and third-look operations, including previous suture removal, IVC reconstruction, and IVC thrombectomy, were performed by a trauma surgeon specializing in cardiovascular diseases. The patient was discharged without major complications on the 19th postoperative day with rivaroxaban as an anticoagulant medication. Computed tomography angiography at the outpatient clinic showed that thrombi in the IVC and both iliac veins had been completely removed. Patients with IVC injuries can be effectively treated using a trauma system that includes fast transportation by helicopter, damage control for rapid hemostasis, and expert treatment of IVC injuries.