Locations and Clinical Significance of Non-Hemorrhagic Brain Lesions in Diffuse Axonal Injuries

OBJECTIVE: Detection of focal non-hemorrhagic lesion (NHL) has become more efficient in diffuse axonal injury (DAI) patients using an MRI. The aims of this study are to find out the radiological distribution, progress of NHL and its clinical significance. METHODS: Between September 2005 and October 2011, 32 individuals with NHLs on brain MRI were enrolled. NHLs were classified by brain location into 4 major districts and 13 detailed locations including cortical and subcortical, corpus callosum, deep nuclei and adjacent area, and brainstem. The severity of NHL was scored from grades 1 to 4, according to the number of districts involved. Fourteen patients with NHL were available for MRI follow-up and an investigation of the changes was conducted. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients had 59 NHLs. The most common district of NHL was cortical and subcortical area; 15 patients had 20 NHSs. However the most common specific location was the splenium of the corpus callosum; 14 patients had 14 lesions. The more lesions patients had, the lower the GCS, however, this was not a statistically meaningful difference. On follow-up MRI in 14 patients, out of 24 lesions, 13 NHLs resolved, 5 showed cystic change, and 6 showed atrophic changes. CONCLUSION: NHLs were located most commonly in the splenium and occur frequently in the thalamus and the mesial temporal lobe. Because most NHS occur concomitantly with hemorrhagic lesions, it was difficult to determine their effects on prognosis. Since most NHLs resolve completely, they are probably less significant to prognosis than hemorrhagic lesions.

Effect of Devices on Defibrillation Skill in the Objective Structured Clinical Examination; A Simulation Study

PURPOSE: Early defibrillation is essential for survival from ventricular fibrillation (VF). In Korea, assessment of clinical skills, including electrical defibrillation, has been part of the medical licensing examination since 2009. Although one defibrillator is used in the exam, various defibrillators are used in the real world. We wanted to know whether unfamiliar devices might affect defibrillation skill. METHODS: Our research was performed during conduct of the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) for sixth grade medical students. Three different defibrillators were used for the test; CodeMaster, LiFEGAIN, and HEARTSTART MRx. CodeMaster was the defibrillator used for education and training. In the test room, VF was simulated by use of a simulator (SimMan(R)), and one of the three defibrillators was placed randomly. A checklist, where eight items among a total of 13 items were for device operation, was used for assessment of defibrillation skill. The written exam and clinical practice score for emergency medicine and defibrillation skill score were investigated. In addition, each operation time of device (turn-on, charge, and shock) was calculated with review of video resources containing the entire exam process. RESULTS: Among 65 students enrolled, 59 students were included for analysis. Students were divided according to CodeMaster (n=20), LiFEGAIN (n=15), and HEARTSTART MRx (n=24). No significant difference in the score on the written exam and clinical practice was observed among the groups. In addition, the scores for defibrillation skill and the time intervals did not differ among the groups. CONCLUSION: Unfamiliar devices may not affect defibrillation skill in medical students.

Unilateral Thrombosis of a Deep Cerebral Vein Associated with Transient Unilateral Thalamic Edema

Symptoms of deep cerebral vein thrombosis (DCVT) are variable and nonspecific. Radiologic findings are essential for the diagnoses. In the majority of cases of deep internal cerebral venous thrombosis, the thalamus is affected bilaterally, and venous hypertension by thrombosis causes parenchymal edema or venous infarction and may sometimes cause venous hemorrhage. Intravenous injections of mannitol can be administered or decompressive craniectomy can be performed for reduction of intracranial pressure. The objectives of antithrombotic treatment in DCVT include recanalization of the sinus or vein, and prevention of propagation of the thrombus. Herein, the authors report DCVT which was successfully treated by low molecular weight heparin.

A Simulation Study for Quality of Chest Compression Provided by Health Personnel / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: Effective chest compression may improve the return of spontaneous circulation and neurologic outcome in arrest victims. For fear of rescuer's fatigue, guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) recommended that chest compression (CC) should be switched every 2 minutes, but there is little evidence. We investigated whether health personnel could provide consistent quality of CC for 2 minutes. METHODS: We recruited prospectively health personnel working on one university hospital. On the day assigned randomly, CPR performance data was collected with use of CPR recording technology. Quality of CPR was calculated every 30 seconds interval. To identify the quality decay, we used repeated measure analysis of variance with SPSS 17.0 for analysis. RESULTS: We analyzed 8,485 CCs performed by 41 subjects. Total number of CC decayed between 90 to 120 seconds (51.6 +/- 3.3 to 50.8 +/- 3.5, p = 0.020) within recommended range. The ratio of correct depth CC decayed between 90 to 120 seconds, falling from 83.4 +/- 24.9% to 68.3 +/- 38.4% (p = 0.002). The ratio of low depth CC increased significantly over time (10.2 +/- 20.7% to 31.3 +/- 38.5%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Health personnel may provide adequate number of CC for 2 minutes. But, the number of correct depth CC may decay between 90 to 120 seconds. Also the number of low depth CC may increase over time.

Quality and Rescuer's Fatigue with Repeated Chest Compression: A Simulation Study for In-hospital 2 Persons CPR

PURPOSE: The 2005 guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) caution that effective compression is essential (Class I) and chest compression (CC) by rescuers should be switched every 2 minutes to avoid rescuer's fatigue. It is controversial how long effective CC by a single individual can be provided. There are few reports about CPR quality, especially when rescuers perform CC for more than 10 minutes. The mean CPR period was about 30 minutes in Korea. We investigated the quality of CC and rescuer's fatigue after about 30 minutes. METHODS: From April 2009 to July 2009, health care providers (HCPs) were recruited into this study. The study simulated 2 person, in-hospital CPR. On the test day, which had been randomly assigned, each participant performed 7 CCs for about 30 minutes. The period of each CC was 2 minutes, and the period of each circulation check was 5 seconds. Participants' heart rates (HR) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for fatigue were obtained before and after each CC. Data for each 2 minutes CC was obtained with the use of Resusci Anne(R) with the Laerdal(R) PC skill reporting system. We used one-way repeated measures ANOVA for comparison of quality and fatigue of each CC and multiple linear regression for finding the predictors for correct CC. SPSS 17.0 was used for analysis. RESULTS: Among a total of 30 HCPs, data from 27 were analyzed. All participants were certified as a BLS provider and some were certified as BLS instructors. The rate of effective compression was 83.8+/-24.3%. Despite 2 min CC tasks were repeated alternatively for about 30 minutes, there were no differences in the number of correct CCs, depth and velocity of compression, and the number of incorrect CCs. CONCLUSION: During in-hospital CPR, HCPs may provide effective chest compressions on shifts with minimal effect of fatigue, even if they provide CC for 30 minutes.

A Survival Prediction Model for Rats with Hemorrhagic Shock Using an Artificial Neural Network

PURPOSE: To achieve early diagnosis of hemorrhagic shock using a survival prediction model in rats. METHODS: We measured heart rate, mean arterial pressure, respiration rate and temperature in 45 Sprague-Dawley rats, and obtained an artificial neural network model for predicting survival rates. RESULTS: Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves was 0.992. Applying the determined optimal boundary value of 0.47, the sensitivity and specificity of survival prediction were 98.4 and 96.6%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Because this artificial neural network predicts quite accurate survival rates for rats subjected to fixed-volume hemorrhagic shock, and does so with simple measurements of systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), and temperature (TEMP), it could provide early diagnosis and effective treatment for hemorrhagic shock if this artificial neural network is applicable to humans.

Factors of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Outcome for In-hospital Adult Patients / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the factors of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) outcome for in-hospital adult patients, acquiring data with standardized reporting guideline of in-hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Korea. METHODS: All adult cardiac arrest patients from July 2004 to December 2006 in this general hospital were included. Their clinical spectrums were reviewed retrospectively using Utstein-style based template. RESULTS: For the study time period, one hundred and forty-two patients underwent cardiac arrest in this hospital. 136 patients were performed CPR. Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) occurred in 42 cases, and 15 patients were survived to hospital discharge. A shorter CPR time and a lower Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) were significant for survivor to hospital discharge (p<0.01). Sex, age, and location in cardiac arrest were not attributed to survival to hospital discharge. CONCLUSIONS: In-hospital CPR patients, the high rate of ROSC and survival to hospital discharge were associated to the cause of arrest, shorter time of CPR, and lesser severity of disease (SAPS II). This result can be a great implication of survivor from CPR in-hospital adult patients in Korea. Further evaluation with consistent data acquisition of CPR using Utstein-style would contribute to improve CPR practice and outcome.

Comparison of Impedance Cardiography with Thermodilution of Hemodynamic Parameters in Critically Ill Patients / 대한구급학회지

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the feasibility of noninvasive hemodynamic monitoring (impedance cardiography, ICG) in critically ill patients, we compared this technique with simultaneous invasive monitoring with a pulmonary artery thermodilution catheter. METHODS: A prospective observational study was done comparing invasive monitoring and noninvasive monitoring in 12 critically ill patients. The cardiac output (CO), the stroke volume (SV) and the systemic vascular resistance (SVR) measured by using a standard thermodilution pulmonary artery catheter technique were compared with the corresponding measurements simultaneously using an ICG. RESULTS: The value of CO, SV and SVR measured by ICG were closely correlated to those by the thermodilution methods [r: 0.659 (p<0.01), 0.536 (p<0.01), 0.738 (p<0.01)]. CONCLUSIONS: ICG can provide hemodynamic information previously available only by invasive monitoring with a thermodilution catheter.

Reliability and Validity of the Modified Emergency Severity Index-2 as a Triage Tool

PURPOSE: We measured the inter-rater reliability and validity of the modified Emergency Severity Index-2 ((m)ESI-2) as a triage tool in the emergency department (ED). METHODS: We applied (m)ESI-2 to 2,724 patients who visited three EDs. In each ED, emergency medicine residents, interns, and nurses independently evaluated the severity of the patient with (m)ESI-2. Data on the triage result, the patient disposition, and the length of stay in the ED were collected prospectively. For patients who were admitted or who stayed more than 24 hours in the ED, the APACHE II score was calculated. RESULTS: The weighted kappa value was 0.602 between residents and interns, 0.541 between residents and nurses, and 0.451 between interns and nurses. Hospitalization (ED death, admission, transfer) rates were 100% in category 1 and 82.4%, 53.8%, 17.2%, 6.2% in categories 2 through 5, respectively. The mean length of stay was longest in category 3 (687 min) and shortest in category 5 (150 min). The mean APACHE II score was highest in category 1 (10.8) and 8.6, 6.2, 5.2, 2.9 in categories 2 through 5, respectively. CONCLUSION: The (m)ESI-2 demonstrated good to fair interrater reliability among residents, interns, and nurses, and the resultant categories were related with the hospitalization rates, the length of stay in the ED, and the APACHE II score. With further modification and refinement, (m)ESI-2 can be a reliable and a valid triage tool in the ED.

The Effect of Contralateral Acoustic Stimulation on the Latency of Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The auditory efferent system -Medial olivocochlear bundle (MOCB)-controls the sensitivity and frequency selectivity of the cochlea and maintains the cochlea for optimal acoustic signaling. Contralateral acoustic sound stimulates the MOCB and has inhibitory effects on the sound evoked amplitude response of the cochlea. There are only a few reports on the latency response of contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS) on distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), and it has no consistent conclusion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether changing the latency of DPOAE by CAS could be a stable method for monitoring the function of MOCB. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: The change in the latencies of DPOAE after CAS were monitored in 24 normal hearing ears with f2 sweep paradigm. The CAS level was divided into two groups, one was under 65 dB SPL and other was over 65 dB SPL. RESULTS: As f2 frequency changed from 1 kHz to 2 kHz, the latency of DPOAE was shortened from 11.82 +/- 1.87 ms to 7.29 +/- 0.86 ms in low stimulation level (50 dB SPL) and from 10.70 +/- 2.65 ms to 6.16 +/- 1.59 ms in high stimulation level (75 dB SPL) There were no significant shortening on the latency of DPOAE after CAS in low stimulation level group. But in higher stimulation level group (75 dB SPL), DPOAE latency changed from 10.70 +/- 2.65 ms to 10.12 +/- 1.95 ms (CAS level: 35 dB SL) and to 9.76 +/- 2.97 ms (CAS level: 50 dB SL) in 1 kHz, from 6.16 +/- 1.59 ms to 5.96 +/- 1.49 ms (CAS level: 35 dB SL) and to 5.83 +/- 1.28 ms (CAS level: 50 dB SL) in 2 kHz. CONCLUSION: Changes in the latency of DPOAE after CAS is not a stable monitoring tool for the function of MOCB.

Prehospital Ambulance Run Report: How Much Collected and Contents are Completed?

PURPOSE: The prehospital ambulance run report function's as a legal and billing document, a unit of database for emergency medical service system quality improvement and community resources allocation. We examined how much ambulance run report is collected, contents are checked and whether there is a hospital-wise difference. METHODS: Prehospital run report of patients who visited the emergency department of Severance hospital, YongDong Severance hospital and Ilsan hospital by ambulance during the month of August in 2003 were collected. The items in run report were grouped according to relevancy in 11categories including 6 essential cetegories. The scores of each item was calculated as follows; 1 point if completed, 0 point if not checked and 0.5 point if incomplete. The categorical score, total score and essential score was consisted of corresponding scores. RESULTS: There was 1,339 (13.5%) 119 ambulance transportation in 9,946 total visit and 783 (58.5%) reports were collected with no statistical difference among hospitals. Overall score completed 100 point scale was in total 54.43 in total score, 70.61 in essential score. In essential categories, transportation category score (78.26) was higher than EMS information (73.04), rand & signature category (72.73) and patient condition & care category (45.20) scores. Among hospitals, YongDong Severance hospital showed significantly higher total and essential score than others. In essential categories, YongDong Severance hospital in EMS information, patient condition & care, rank & signature categories and Ilsan hospital in transportation category had higher score than others with significant differences. CONCLUSION: In this study, the collection rate and completion score of prehospital 119 run report were disappointedly low and differed among hospitals. To improve present status, we prepare urgent need redesign of run report, was of uniform data set and proper education of emergency medical personnel.

Diagnostic Value of Ultrasonography for the Assessment of Rib Fractures

PURPOSE: Rib fractures are the most common injuries resulting from blunt chest trauma. The sensitivity of conventional chest radiography (chest PA, rib series) in showing a rib fracture is limited, particularly in those involving the cartilage part of the rib. We investigated the possible rib fractures. We used ultrasonography (US) to investigate possible rib fractures in patients with minor blunt chest trauma who showed no evidence of a rib fracture on the conventional chest radiography. METHODS: A total of 96 patients with minor blunt chest trauma and showing no evidence of a rib fracture on the conventional chest radiography were examined with US performed with a 7.5-MHz linear transducer. RESULTS: A total of 44(45.8%) patients showed a rib fracture whereas 52(54.2%) patients had no evidence of a rib fracture. Fracture of the rib with displacement 24 patients was the most common finding. CONCLUSIONS: Rib US is a useful imaging method in showing rib fractures overlooked on chest X-rays in cases of minor blunt chest trauma. Compared with conventional chest radiography, rib US takes a shorter time and is not difficult. Additionally, lesions combined with rib fractures and costal cartilage fractures are diagnosed more easily when using rib US.

Auditory Effects of Microperfused Lidocaine on Guinea Pig Cochlea / 대한이비인후과학회지

OBJECTIVES: Lidocaine is one of the therapeutic trials to treat tinnitus. However, the exact mechanism of the effect of lidocaine remains unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the action site of lidocaine in the cochlea by measuring compound action potential (CAP) and transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) amplitude in guinea pigs. METHOD: Artificial perilymph was perfused into the scala tympani of the guinea pig cochlea in the control group, and lidocaine diluted with artificial perilymph was perfused into the scala tympani of the experimental groups. Electrocochleogram (ECoG) and TEOAE were measured in each groups both before and after lidocaine perfusion. RESULTS: Artificial perilymph perfused to the scala tympani of the guinea pig cochleae did not affect either the CAP threshold or the TEOAE response. But, lidocaine perfused into the scala tympani of the guinea pig cochleae produced a dose-dependent increase in CAP threshold, but did not affect TEOAE response. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that lidocaine perfused into the scala tympani of the guinea pig cochlea affects the CAPthreshold but not the TEOAE amplitude and reproducibility. It means that the locally perfused lidocaine affects the cochlear nerve greater than the outer hair cells.

Two Cases of the Landau-Kleffner Syndrome / 대한이비인후과학회지

Landau-Kleffner syndrome, or acquired epileptiform aphasia, is an epilepsy syndrome with variable disruption of acquired language and epileptiform discharges on electroencephalograph (EEG). Auditory agnosia can deteriorate into total unresponsiveness and impaired expressive communication. In spite of the presence of this condition, the pure tone audiometry, otoacoustic emission and brainstem evoked auditory potential could be normal. Therefore, in the above hearing tests which are the mainstream methods for pediatric hearing evaluation, otolaryngologists should have suspicion for the presence of this syndrome, although it is rare.

Utility of Tetanos Quick Stick(R) Test for Selective Tetanus Prophylaxis

PURPOSE: Tetanus is still one kind of major health problem in many countries, so tetanus prophylaxis is very important. However medical interview and wound description are not always enough to determine the tetanus prophylaxis. Thus, we assessed the utility of Tetanos Quick Stick(R) test for selective tetanus prophylaxis in the emergency department. METHODS: From September 17, 2003 to October 4, 2003, 180 patients were studied for 14 days. Tetanos Quick Stick (R) and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were performed with 180 samples from 180 patients. RESULTS: The Tetanos Quick Stick(R) had a sensitivity of 79.6%, a specificity of 99.2%, a positive predictive value of 97.7 %, a negative predictive value of 91.9%, and an accuracy of 93.3%. CONCILUSION: The results of our study revealed that the Tetanos Quick Stick(R) test is useful for selective tetanus prophylaxis in the emergency department.

Warfarin Toxicity Patients in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE: The number of patients who take warfarin is growing, and so is the number of complications. However, the treatments of these complications vary widely due to the lack of guidelines. Therefore, we felt the need to establish guidelines for warfarin toxicity treatment. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of the patients taking warfarin, at the time of Severance Hospital Emergency Center visit with bleeding complications or an initial prothrombin time (PT) in international normalized ratio (INR) of more than 3, from March 1, 1999, to February 28, 2001. These patients were divided into major, minor, and no bleeding groups according to their bleeding status, and the groups were compared analyzed. RESULTS: There were 57 patients who met the criteria. Atrial flutter/fibrillation and heart valve replacement patients made up 71.9%. No significant difference in initial PT (INR) existed between the three bleeding groups. However, the difference existed in the amount of vitamin K given to the three bleeding groups. CONCLUSION: Initial PT (INR) is not an appropriate guide for treatment of bleeding complications of warfarin toxicity. Clinical manifestations were more reliable and significant to treat for bleeding complications of warfarin toxicity.

Choanal Polyps Originating from the Ethmoid Sinus: Ethmochoanal Polyps? / 대한이비인후과학회지

Sinochoanal polyp is an inflammatory polyp that originates in the paranasal sinus, passes through a sinus ostium, and extends into the choana. While antrochoanal polyp is the most common type of sinochoanal polyp, sphenochoanal polyp is rare and ethmochoanal polyp is extremely more rare to find. To minimize postsurgical recurrence, it is essential to completely remove the polyp together with the base of its origin. We have recently experienced and successfully managed three cases of ethmochoanal polyp by endoscopic sinus surgery. It was difficult to histologically differentiate ethmochoanal polyp from sinonasal polyps associated with chronic rhinosinusitis. For this reason, ethmochoanal polyp should be suspected and completely removed together with the base of its origin when a large polyp originates from the ethmoid sinus and extends into the choana. Now we report three cases of ethmochoanal polyp with a brief review of the related literatures.

The Efficacy of the Alternating Technique in TEOAE Suppression by Contralateral Acoustic Stimulation / 대한이비인후과학회지

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Contralateral acoustic stimulation (CAS) is known to reduce the amplitude of the transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) in human. However, the magnitude of the suppression effect evoked by CAS is too small to overcome the problems associated with fluctuating patient conditions as well as the environmental changes. We used an alternating technique to overcome this problem and compared the efficacy of this technique with the classic technique. The aims of this study are to show reduction of the amplitude of the TEOAE with CAS and to evaluate the efficacy of the alternating technique in measuring TEOAE suppression. MATERIALS AND METHOD: TEOAE suppression was measured in 24 ears of 12 normal hearing subjects. Both the alternating technique and classic technique were used in the same subject and condition. TEOAEs were recorded with an ILO 92 dual cannel OAE analyzer. In the alternating technique, one channel was used to stimulate and record TEOAEs from the test ear while the other channel was used to deliver 40, 50 and 60 dBSPL broadband noise to the contralateral ear. But in the classic technique, one channel was used to stimulate and record TEOAEs from the test ear while the broadband noise was applied to the contralateral ear via audiometer headphone. RESULTS: The overall contralateral noise of 40, 50 and 60 dBSPL reduced the amplitude of the TEOAE but only with 60dBSPL significantly reduced in both techniques. As larger CAS was given, the suppressive effect on the TEOAEs was greater in both techniques. But the significant difference was not found between the alternating technique and the classic technique. A total test time was 6 minutes for the alternating technique and 10 minutes for the classic technique. CONCLUSION: We confirmed the reduction of the amplitude of the TEOAE with CAS using both the techniques. No significant difference was found between the results of the alternating technique and the classal technique. We found that the alternating technique thereby decreasing the chance of fluctuating patient and environmental condition.

Diffusion-weighted Imaging in Isolated Vertigo Patients Having Risk Factors for Stroke

BACKGROUND: The management of vertiginous patients is a great challenge to emergency physicians. We evaluated the diagnostic value of a diffusion-weighted image(DWI) in differentiating central vertigo from the peripheral vertigo in patients who presented no neurological symptoms other than risk factors for stroke. METHODS: From March 2000 to February 2001, we retrospectively analyzed the cases of 68 patients who visited the emergency department with symptoms of isolated vertigo and who had risk factors for stroke. DWIs, computed tomograms(CT), and medical records were reviewed, and the final diagnose, the DWIs and the CT readings, the risk factors for stroke, and the time it took waiting for a DWI or CT scan were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 68 patients, 21(30.8%) had central vertigo: 15 vertebrobasilar transient ischemic attacks(VB-TIA), 4 brain stem infarctions, 1 cerebellar infarction, and 1 cerebellopeduncular infarction. The DWI showed a 28.6% sensitivity, a 97.9% specificity, and an 85.7% positive predictive value in diagnosing central vertigo. It also had a 100% sensitivity in detecting infarctions. CONCLUSION: A DWI had a comparable sensitivity to MRI in detecting central vertigo and small, but potentially, lethal infarctions in our patient population. We recommend clinical application of DWI in the emergency department evaluation of isolated vertigo patients with risk factors for stroke.

Which Urine Sampling Method is Suitable for Women Visiting the Emergency Department?

BACKGROUND: Urinalysis is a useful laboratory test in the diagnosis of various diseases. In sampling for the urinalysis, there is much concern about contamination that can lead to misdiagnosis in the mid-stream urine sampling method. We conducted this study to determine, in terms of concordance of results and contamination in culture, whether there was any superiority in mid-stream sampling methods with or without disinfection measures compared to the catheterization method. MATERIALS AND EMTHODS: We used three kinds of urine sampling methods sequentially, mid-stream non-clean catch, mid-stream clean catch, and catheterization, for ambulatory, non-pregnant, non-menstruating female patients who visited NHIC Ilsan Hospital emergency department during a one-week period in September 2001. Each sample was electrophotometrically analyzed for leukocyte esterase, nitrite, and blood by using a reagent strip and was cultured immediately or after overnight refrigeration. RESULTS: Of the 41 patients, 9 had culture-proven urinary tract infections. The concordance rates(kappa) for nitrite, blood, and leukocyte esterase were 0.875, 0.403, and 0.406 between non-clean catch and catheterized samples and 0.875, 0.481, and 0.560 between clean catch and catheterized samples, respectively. The contamination rate of the non-clean catch, the clean catch, and the catheterized samples were statistically different: 51.2%, 29.3% and 0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: We found that cleaning with disinfectant was effective for reducing the contamination rate, even though the best urine sampling method for zero contamination was catheterization. We recommend considering cost, patients' comfort, an acceptable threshold for contamination, and the necessity for a culture before choosing a urine sampling method for women who visit the emergency department.