• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.31-46
• /
• 2010

This study was intended to analyze the clinical characteristic of the patient with hypoglycemia and the status of prehospital treatments by 119 emergency medical technicians well as the cause of inappropriate emergency treatment by 119 emergency medical technicians in a bid to seek the measures for improvement, thereby enhancing the emergency medical services before medical treatment at hospital. Examination of the daily work log on 430 patients suffering with hypoglycemia who were sent to the university hospital in Gyunggi-Province by 119 emergency medical technicians, beginning on Jan 1, 2004 till Dec 31. 2008 was carried out and the survey of 206 119 emergency medical technicians working at the region of Gyunggid-Province was conducted from Sep 19 through Oct 6, 2009. Evaluation of the frequency and percentage and ANOVA analysis using SPSS WIN 14.0 program was carried out. In view of the examination of daily emergency work log and questionnaire, prehospital treatment for the patients with hypoglycemia needs to be further improved in general, and to provide the emergency treatment in accurate and timely manner, improvement of the system such as assignment of licensed rescue members and development of protocol that will replace the medical consultant system, mandatory emergency treatment, constant and efficient training and maintenance of emergency rescue records shall be implemented, and furthermore, social recognition to 119 emergency medical technicians shall be improved to encourage them to perform more positive way and manner.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.172-179
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Out-of-hospital traumatic cardiac arrest (TCA) often has a poor prognosis despite rescue efforts. Although the incidence and mortality of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have increased, bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has decreased in some countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the prehospital setting, immediate treatment of cardiac arrest is required without knowing the patient's COVID-19 status. Because COVID-19 is usually transmitted through the respiratory tract, airway management can put medical personnel at risk for infection. This study explored whether on-scene treatments involving CPR for TCA patients changed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea. Methods: This retrospective study used data from emergency medical services (EMS) run sheets in Gangwon Province from January 2019 to December 2021. Patients whose initial problem was cardiac arrest and who received CPR were included. Data in 2019 were classified as pre-COVID-19 and all subsequent data (from 2020 and 2021) as post-COVID-19. Age, sex, possible cause of cardiac arrest, and treatments including airway maneuvers, oropharyngeal airway (OPA) or i-gel insertion, endotracheal intubation (ETI), bag-valve mask (BVM) ventilation, intravenous (IV) line establishment, neck collar application, and wound dressing with hemostasis were investigated. Results: During the study period, 2,007 patients received CPR, of whom 596 patients had TCA and 367 had disease-origin cardiac arrest (DCA). Among the patients with TCA, 192 (32.2%) were pre-COVID-19 and 404 (67.8%) were post-COVID-19. In the TCA group, prehospital treatments did not decrease. The average frequencies were 59.7% for airway maneuvers, 47.5% for OPA, 57.4% for BVM, and 51.3% for neck collar application. The rates of ETI, i-gel insertion, and IV-line establishment increased. The treatment rate for TCA was significantly higher than that for DCA. Conclusions: Prehospital treatments by EMS workers for patients with TCA did not decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the rates of ETI, i-gel insertion, and IV-line establishment increased.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.27-42
• /
• 2011

Purpose: This study intended to improve quality of prehospital emergency care for trauma patients by figuring out its current situations and problems based on run-sheets and questionnaires of 119 emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Methods: This study conducted a research of 425 trauma patients transferred to the 3rd hospital in G-city by 119 ambulances from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. We aslo utilized 114 copies with questionnaires of 119 EMTs working in J-province. The data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0. Results: There were 425 trauma patients including 272 men and 137 patients with traffic accident. When it comes to types of 119 EMTs who delivered cares to patients, there were 206 (48.5%) advanced EMTs, 101 (23.8%) basic EMTs, 50 (11.8%) nurses and 43 (10.2%) rescue education receivers. The most frequent measured vital sign was pulse rate (54.1%). Regarding assessment of systolic blood pressure, pulse rate and respiration rate, there were some significant differences in accordance with type of 119 EMTs. Among the 317 patients evaluated 'emergency' in field, 137 patients returned to their home. Prehospital emergency cares accounted for 861, around 2.0 treatments per a patient. In view of questionnaire, the 74.6% of 119 EMTs hoped supplement of man power for proper prehospital care to trauma patients. Conclusion: This study suggested that it is necessary to develop detailed guidelines for trauma patients so as to improve quality of trauma patient evaluation and prehospital care. Furthermore, improvement of emergency care systems will reduce mortality of trauma patients and lead to their good outcome.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.163-174
• /
• 2007

Purpose : This study analyzes prehospital care report of emergency service at prehospital stage, examines characteristics of activities of 119 paramedics and its users and aims to provide help for improving emergency system in future. Methods : Data collected were 119 prehospital care report and hospital records with 7,160 patients to emergency room by 119 ambulance from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2006 and percentage and frequency of the data were obtained. Results : 1) Use of emergency room by 119 ambulance was increased in summer and autumn such as August(9.1%), September(11.2%) and October(13.5%) and it was more frequently used on Monday(17.3%), Saturday(17.2%) and Friday(16.1%) by telephone(98.6%). 2) Using emergency room was most in over sixties(51.8%), men(64.2%), community residents (78.3%), by report of family(50.3%) and at '09:01~12:00'(16.5%). 3) Symptoms of emergency room users included headache, chest pain, stomachache, lumbago and others as 40.6% and places where patients were found were at home(60.1%) due to chronic internal diseases at 49.2%. 4) Most of non-emergency patients(80.2%) arriving at hospital had normal pupil condition (88.4%) and clear consciousness(71.2%) and most of them left hospital after having first-aid treatment. 5) Physiological symptom tests evaluated by paramedics at prehospital stage included blood pressure(56.6%), pulse(22.9%), breathing(13.0%) and temperature(9.2%), and there was no SPo2 case. 6) Classification of severity by paramedics showed difference as emergency patients(18.0%) by paramedics and those(24.9%) by hospital. 7) First-aid treatments by paramedics at prehospital stage were promoting comfort(28.9%), hemostasis(7.7%), fixing cervical vertebrae(4.0%) and ensuring vein route(3.1%). 8) Selectors of medical agency were patients or guardians(86.2%) and emergency medical technicians(73.6%). Conclusion : To sum up the above research, it was found that percentage of using 119 ambulance by non-emergency patients was higher and paramedics performed basic first-aid treatment rather than professional first-aid treatment due to several conditions such as legal problems, range of allowance, etc. Therefore, it is considered that method to reduce frequency of ambulance by non-emergency patients and approaches to alleviate limitations of allowance of paramdeics to make them perform effective first-aid treatment at prehospital stage should be sought in the dimension of individual, organization and government.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.230-237
• /
• 2019

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of Korean medicine combination treatments for recurring back pain after medical procedures. Methods: This was a retrospective study performed on 311 patients admitted to Daejoen Jaseng hospital who were diagnosed with lumbar spine herniated intervertebral discs. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether or not they had undergone at least one medical procedure on the lumbar spine. They were assessed with Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and EuroQol-5 Dimensions Index (EQ-5D) before and after treatment. Results: Patients who experienced a medical procedure on the lumbar spine in the prehospital phase (Group A), statistically significantly improved EQ-5D and ODI scores. The NRS scores also decreased however it was not statistically significant. Patients who had not undergone a medical procedure on the lumbar spine in the prehospital phase (Group B) had statistically significantly improved ODI and NRS scores. The average EQ-5D score decreased however, there was no statistically significant difference before and after scores in Group B. There was no statistically significant difference in variation in EQ-5D, ODI, and NRS scores before and after treatment between the groups. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that even after a bilateral procedure and surgery, when pain in patients with lumbar spine herniated intervertebral disc did not decrease, (as in failed back surgery syndrome), Korean medicine combination treatment of postoperative pain was helpful and there was improvement in daily life.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.35-41
• /
• 2013

Objectives : This study aimed to perform descriptive analysis on demographic characteristics and symptom distribution of 199 marathon participants in Pusan, Korea. Methods : Brief medical charts of 199 marathon participants in 11 marathon rallies who had visited the emergency medical support team of Korean Medicine Hospital, Pusan National University were collected. Participants' demographic and clinical characteristics were descriptively analyzed. Results : More than two third of participants who have visited the support team was male(71.9 %) and their mean age was 44.0(years). The main intervention was manual acupuncture with vigorous stimulation techniques. Most of treated symptoms were lower extremity pain(77.0 %). Knee pain was the most frequently recorded symptoms, following the ankle pain. No information on the safety of acupuncture treatments were reported in the records. Conclusions : Symptom distribution of marathon participants who have visited the emergency medical support team of Korean Medicine Hospital was similar to previous literatures of acute injuries of marathon athletes and runners. The role of acupuncture for emergency support care of acute injuries in marathon participants should be further explored in well-designed clinical studies.