• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제21권1호
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• pp.53-58
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• 2008

Purpose: Skiing and snowboarding are becoming increasingly popular. Accordingly, the incidences of injuries among skiers and snowboarders are also increasing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the injury patterns of and the contributing factors to head injuries of skiers and snowboarders and to evaluate the differences in characteristics between skiing and snowboarding head injuries. Methods: One-hundred patients who visited the emergency department of Wonju Christian Hospital between January 2005 and March 2007 due to head injuries from skiing and snowboarding were enrolled. The mechanisms and the histories of the injuries were investigated by surveying the patients, and the degrees of head injuries were estimated by using brain CT and the Glasgow Coma Scale. The degrees and the characteristics of brain injuries were also analyzed and compared between skiers and snowboarders. Results: Out of 100 patients, 39 were injured by skiing, and 61 were injured by snowboarding. The mean age of the skiers was $26.7{\pm}10.0$, and that of the snowboarders was $26.7{\pm}6.2$. The percentage of male skiers was 43.6%, and that of snowboarders was 63.9%. The most frequent initial chief complaints of head-injured skiers and snowboarders were headache and mental change. The most common mechanism of injuries was a slip down. The mean Abbreviated Injury Scale Score (AIS score) of the skier group was $4.5{\pm}2.1$ and that of the snowboarder group was $5.9{\pm}5.0$ (p=0.222). The percentage of helmet users was 7.1% among skiers and 20.8% among snowboarders (p=0.346). Head injuries were composed of cerebral concussion (92.0%) and intracranial hemorrhage (8.0%). Intracranial hemorrhage was most frequently caused by falling down (62.5%). Conclusion: The most common type of head injury to skiers and snowboarders was cerebral concussion, and severe damage was usually caused by jumping and falling down. No differences in the characteristics of the head injuries existed between skiing and snowboarding injuries.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.168-172
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• 2001

Objective : The authors have studied the clinical outcome of patients with diffuse axonal injuries(DAI) to evaluate the prognostic value of gradient-echo MR imaging findings. Materials and Methods : From March 1995 to March 1998, there were nineteen patients with DAI whose initial Glasgow coma scales were eight or less. Authors divided them into two groups according to Glasgow outcome scales ; those patients with GOS 3 or less(group A ; 9) and those with 4 or more(group B ; 10). We subdivided the lesions as superficial and deep lesion, and analyzed the numbers, anatomical loci of the lesions on the gradient echo images of each group. Results : Mean numbers of the lesions were 15 per case in group A(135/9) and 10 in group B(100/10). The common loci involved in DAI were cerebral cortex, brain stem, and corpus callosum. Cortical lesions were 31.1% in group A(42/135) and 47% in group B(47/100). Brain stem lesions were 25.9%(35/135) and 15%(15/100) each. Callosal lesions were 31.1%(26/135) and 13%(13/100) each. The frequency of callosal and brain stem lesions was significantly different between two groups(p<0.05). We divided callosal lesions as genu, body, and splenium and body lesions as anterior, middle, posterior, but no significant topographical difference of lesions was observed between two groups. Deep lesions were observed more frequently in group A(58.5%, 79/135) than group B(36%, 36/100). Conclusion : The poor outcome group showed more numbers of lesion and more frequent involvement of brain stem and corpus callosum than favorable outcome group. Gradient-echo MR imaging seems to have predictive value for clinical outcome in patients with DAI.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.207-210
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• 2001

Objective : The prognosis of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage often depends on initial neurologic condition, size and location of hemorrhage and associated intraventricular hemorrhage. However, age of patient, coagulation state and other associated vascular diseases may also play a role when present. In recent years, the geriatric population has been increasing. The age distribution of the patients with intracerebral hemorrhages also has been increased, accordingly. However, such patients, especially when associated with poor initial conditions often tend to be managed rather conservatively. The authors analyzed retrospectively on forty-five patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage over the seventies with poor initial condition to find out whether there exists a difference of outcome between surgery and non-surgery group. Material and Method : A total of 45 patients over seventies with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage with Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS) 4-8 treated over last six years were included. The validity of surgical management for these patients as well as clinical variables which might have been operated on the outcome of these patients were evaluated. The Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS) after three months was used for comparison of outcome. Results : In surgical group(19 cases), mean age was 74.5 years old, mean hematoma volume 67.2ml and mean GCS score 5.7 points. In nonsurgical group(26 cases), mean age was 79.3 years old, mean hematoma volume 32.1ml, and mean GCS score 6.8 points. Mortality rate in surgical group was 47.4%(9 patients), including 2 cases of post-operative rebleeding, while that in nonsurgical group was 46.2%. However, when patients with initial GCS 4-6 points and over 30ml in hematoma volume were regrouped, mortality rate in surgical group was 46.2%, whereas mortality rate in nonsurgical group was 66.7%. Conclusion : It is concluded that the mortality rate is much low in surgery group with initial GCS less than 6 points and hematoma volume over 30cc. There was no significant difference of outcome in patients with basal ganglia and thalamic hemorrhage. However, surgical treatment lowered the mortality and morbidity rate in patients with subcortical and cerebellar hemorrhage.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제60권5호
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• pp.584-590
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• 2017

Objective : Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children under age 24 months has characteristic features because the brain at this age is rapidly growing and sutures are opened. Moreover, children this age are completely dependent on their parents. We analyzed the demographic data and risk factors for outcomes in TBI patients in this age group to elucidate their clinical characteristics. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiological films of children under 24 months who were admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital from January 2004 to December 2013 for TBI. Specifically, we analyzed age, cause of injury, initial Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, radiological diagnosis, seizure, hydrocephalus, subdural hygroma, and Glasgow outcome scale (GOS) score, and we divided outcomes into good (GOS 4-5) or poor (GOS 1-3). We identified the risk factors for post-traumatic seizure (PTS) and outcomes using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results : The total number of patients was 60, 39 males and 21 females. Most common age group was between 0 to 5 months, and the median age was 6 months. Falls were the most common cause of injury (n=29, 48.3%); among them, 15 were falls from household furniture such as beds and chairs. Ten patients (16.7%) developed PTS, nine in one week; thirty-seven patients (61.7%) had skull fractures. Forty-eight patients had initial GCS scores of 13-15, 8 had scores of 12-8, and 4 had scored 3-7. The diagnoses were as follows : 26 acute subdural hematomas, 8 acute epidural hematomas, 7 focal contusional hemorrhages, 13 subdural hygromas, and 4 traumatic intracerebral hematomas larger than 2 cm in diameter. Among them, two patients underwent craniotomy for hematoma removal. Four patients were victims of child abuse, and all of them had PTS. Fifty-five patients improved to good-to-moderate disability. Child abuse, acute subdural hematoma, and subdural hygroma were risk factors for PTS in univariate analyses. Multivariate analysis found that the salient risk factor for a poor outcome was initial GCS on admission. Conclusion : The most common cause of traumatic head injury in individuals aged less than 24 months was falls, especially from household furniture. Child abuse, moderate to severe TBI, acute subdural hematoma, and subdural hygroma were risk factors for PTS. Most of the patients recovered with good outcomes, and the risk factor for a poor outcome was initial mental status.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제17권2호
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• pp.118-125
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• 2019

Purpose: Non-benzodiazepine hypnotic drugs (including zolpidem) are associated with an increased risk of suicide and suicidal ideation. Considering the wide usage of zolpidem, this drug should be considered a possible etiology for stupor or coma in any patient exposed to this drug. However, there are no reports on zolpidem blood levels in emergency department patients in Korea. We therefore reviewed the analyzed data of a toxicology laboratory at one university affiliated hospital. Methods: The sex, age, chief symptoms, suspiciousness of poisoning, and presumption of poison were analyzed from January 2018 to June 2019. The detection frequency and level of zolpidem in the patient blood were compared to the mental changes presented, which is the main consequence of zolpidem. Results: A total of 229 toxicological analyses, requested to a toxicological laboratory at one university affiliated hospital, were reviewed. Among 229 patients, the mean age was 54.3±20.7 years old with 113 women and 116 men. 8.7% of patients have psychiatric illness and 39.7% were poisoned intentionally. The chief symptoms detected were: mental change 55.0%, gastrointestinal 14.4%, cardiovascular 10.5%, focal neurological 7.4%, respiratory 3.5%, none 8.7%, and unknown 0.4%. A request for detailed reports revealed that causative poisons were specified only in 20.1% cases. Zolpidem was detected in 22.3% cases (51/229), with median blood level 1.26 mg/L (interquartile 0.1, 5.06 mg/L) and urine 0.90 mg/L (interquartile 0.11, 5.6 mg/L). Furthermore, zolpidem was more frequently detected in toxicology analysis of patients where mental change was the primary symptom, as compared to other symptoms (32.5% vs. 9.7%, p<0.01). Conclusion: This study reported the blood level of zolpidem in suspected poisoning patients admitted to the emergency department.

• 한국산학기술학회논문지
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• 제19권11호
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• pp.421-425
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• 2018

본 메탄올은 공업용 용매로 흔히 사용되는 무색의 휘발성, 유독성 액체이다. 메탄올 중독에 의해서 시각 장애는 흔히 나타나는 증상 및 후유증의 하나지만, 흡입으로 인한 중독에서는 잘 나타나지 않는 것으로 알려져 있다. 그렇기 때문에 메탄올을 흡인한 이후에 시력저하가 생긴 증례는 잘 발표되어 있지 않다. 우리는 산업장에서 호흡기를 통해서 메탄올이 흡입된 이후에 시력손실이 발생한 케이스를 보고하고자 한다. 한국의 한 휴대폰 공장에서 일하던 28세 여자환자가 의식저하로 응급실로 내원하였다. 그녀는 이틀 전부터 시야가 흐릿하게 보였지만 대수롭지 않게 여겨 따로 병원을 찾아가지 않았고, 의식저하가 발생하여서야 병원에 오게 되었다. 내원시 환자는 글래스고혼수척도 9점의 의식저하를 보였으며, 혈액 검사 결과 심한 대사성 산증을 보이고 있었다. 중환자실에 입원하여 응급 투석을 비롯하여 메탄올 중독에 대한 치료를 시행하였다. 치료 후 의식이 회복되어 퇴원할 수 있었으나, 6개월 후까지 재활치료를 받고 있으며, 영구적으로 시력저하가 남았다. 흡입을 통해서도 메탄올 중독이 발생 할 수 있으며, 이는 초기에 알아차리기가 쉽지 않다. 하지만 메탄올 중독의 치료는 시간과의 싸움이며, 초기에 빠르게 치료해야 예후가 좋다. 그러므로 흡입에 의한 중독 가능성을 항상 염두에 두어야 하며, 의심시에는 빠르게 치료를 해야만 한다.

• 대한응급의학회지
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.449-454
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• 2018

Objective: The SAFARI score was introduced to assess the risk of convulsive seizure during admission for aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in 2017. This study was conducted to determine whether the SAFARI score derived from the afore-mentioned study could be applied to patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in Korea. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients who were diagnosed with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage from March 2013 to October 2017. Patients' age, sex, blood pressure, pulse rate, body temperature, Glasgow-Coma Scale, Hunt-Hess scale, modified Fisher grade, size of ruptured aneurysm, surgery type, transfusion, and SAFARI score were compared between the seizure and non-seizure groups. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curves was calculated to evaluate the predictive ability for seizure during admission. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze predictive factors for seizure during admission. Results: A total of 220 patients were included. Ninety-seven (44.1%) were male and 123 (55.9%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 65.8 years old (range, 56-75). The area under the curve of the SAFARI score for predicting seizure was 0.813. The SAFARI score was the only significant predictor of seizure during admission, while other factors were not statistically significant upon logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: The SAFARI score could be used for predicting seizure during admission in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

• 대한응급의학회지
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.500-508
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• 2018

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of heat stroke in a bath facility and investigate predictive factors of multiple major complications in heat stroke patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study on heat stroke patients who visited an urban emergency center from January 2010 to March 2018. We compared clinical characteristics, complication, and outcomes of heat stroke patients in bath and non-bath facilities. Multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify independent predictors of multiple major complications in heat stroke patients. Results: A total of 67 heat stroke patients with heat stroke were enrolled, of which 42 (62.6%) were in a bath facility and 25 (37.3%) were in a non-bath facility. Patients with heat stroke in the bath facility were characterized by old age, past medical history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and high incidence of hypotension compared with those in the non-bath facility but also low incidence of acute renal failure, seizure, and multiple major complications. In the multivariate analysis, predictive factors of multiple major complications in heat stroke patients were non-bath facility (odds ratio [OR], 5.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-29.9), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)${\leq}8$ (OR, 8.2; 95% CI, 1.3-49.4), and mean arterial pressure (MAP), body temperature above $40.5^{\circ}C$ (OR, 8.1; 95% CI, 1.1-58.8) <60 mmHg (OR, 14.8; 95% CI, 1.8-122.9). Conclusion: Heat stroke in the bath facility resulted in less major complications, and high body temperature, GCS ${\leq}8$, and MAP <60 mmHg were independent predictive factors of multiple major complications in heat stroke patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제64권5호
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• pp.791-798
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• 2021

Objective : The period of mechanical ventilator (MV)-dependent respiratory failure after cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) varies from patient to patient. This study aimed to identify predictors of MV at hospital discharge (MVDC) due to prolonged respiratory failure among patients with MV after CSCI. Methods : Two hundred forty-three patients with CSCI were admitted to our institution between May 2006 and April 2018. Their medical records and radiographic data were retrospectively reviewed. Level and completeness of injury were defined according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) standards. Respiratory failure was defined as the requirement for definitive airway and assistance of MV. We also evaluated magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of the cervical spine. These characteristics included : maximum canal compromise (MCC); intramedullary hematoma or cord transection; and integrity of the disco-ligamentous complex for assessment of the Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification (SLIC) scoring. The inclusion criteria were patients with CSCI who underwent decompression surgery within 48 hours after trauma with respiratory failure during hospital stay. Patients with Glasgow coma scale 12 or lower, major fatal trauma of vital organs, or stroke caused by vertebral artery injury were excluded from the study. Results : Out of 243 patients with CSCI, 30 required MV during their hospital stay, and 27 met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 48.1% (13/27) of patients had MVDC with greater than 30 days MV or death caused by aspiration pneumonia. In total, 51.9% (14/27) of patients could be weaned from MV during 30 days or less of hospital stay (MV days : MVDC 38.23±20.79 vs. MV weaning, 13.57±8.40; p<0.001). Vital signs at hospital arrival, smoking, the American Society of Anesthesiologists classification, Associated injury with Injury Severity Score, SLIC score, and length of cord edema did not differ between the MVDC and MV weaning groups. The ASIA impairment scale, level of injury within C3 to C6, and MCC significantly affected MVDC. The MCC significantly correlated with MVDC, and the optimal cutoff value was 51.40%, with 76.9% sensitivity and 78.6% specificity. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, MCC >51.4% was a significant risk factor for MVDC (odds ratio, 7.574; p=0.039). Conclusion : As a method of predicting which patients would be able to undergo weaning from MV early, the MCC is a valid factor. If the MCC exceeds 51.4%, prognosis of respiratory function becomes poor and the probability of MVDC is increased.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제66권3호
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• pp.332-339
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• 2023

Objective : The present study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of electrolyte imbalance in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who underwent craniotomy and its influence on prognosis. Methods : A total of 156 patients with moderate to severe TBI were prospectively collected from June 2019 to June 2021. All patients underwent craniotomy and intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring. We aimed to explore the clinical characteristics of electrolyte disturbance and to analyze the influence of electrolyte disturbance on prognosis. Results : A total of 156 patients with moderate and severe TBI were included. There were 57 cases of hypernatremia, accounting for 36.538%, with the average level of 155.788±7.686 mmol/L, which occurred 2.2±0.3 days after injury. There were 25 cases of hyponatremia, accounting for 16.026%, with the average level of 131.204±3.708 mmol/L, which occurred 10.2±3.3 days after injury. There were three cases of hyperkalemia, accounting for 1.923%, with the average level of 7.140±1.297 mmol/L, which occurred 5.3±0.2 days after injury. There were 75 cases of hypokalemia, accounting for 48.077%, with the average level of 3.071±0.302 mmol/L, which occurred 1.8±0.6 days after injury. There were 105 cases of hypocalcemia, accounting for 67.308%, with the average level of 1.846±0.104 mmol/L, which occurred 1.6±0.2 days after injury. There were 17 cases of hypermagnesemia, accounting for 10.897%, with the average level of 1.213±0.426 mmol/L, which occurred 1.8±0.5 days after injury. There were 99 cases of hypomagnesemia, accounting for 63.462%, with the average level of 0.652±0.061 mmol/L, which occurred 1.3±0.4 days after injury. Univariate regression analysis revealed that age, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score at admission, pupil changes, ICP, hypernatremia, hypocalcemia, hypernatremia combined with hypocalcemia, epilepsy, cerebral infarction, severe hypoproteinemia were statistically abnormal (p<0.05), while gender, hyponatremia, potassium, magnesium, intracranial infection, pneumonia, allogeneic blood transfusion, hypertension, diabetes, abnormal liver function, and abnormal renal function were not statistically significant (p>0.05). After adjusting gender, age, GCS, pupil changes, ICP, epilepsy, cerebral infarction, severe hypoproteinemia, multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that hypernatremia or hypocalcemia was not statistically significant, while hypernatremia combined with hypocalcemia was statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion : The incidence of hypocalcemia was the highest, followed by hypomagnesemia, hypokalemia, hypernatremia, hyponatremia and hypermagnesemia. Hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypokalemia generally occurred in the early post-TBI period, hypernatremia occurred in the peak period of ICP, and hyponatremia mostly occurred in the late period after decreased ICP. Hypernatremia combined with hypocalcemia was associated with prognosis.