Characteristics of frequent emergency department users in Korea: a 4-year retrospective analysis using Korea Health Panel Study data

Objective@#We aimed to investigate the characteristics of frequent emergency department (ED) users in Korea. @*Methods@#We analyzed the Korea Health Panel Study data of a sampled population from the 2005 Population Census of Korea data, and adults (age ≥18 years) who visited the ED at least once a year between 2014 and 2017 were included in the study. People who visited three or more times a year were classified as frequent users. We compared demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related factors between nonfrequent and frequent users. We used a multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine factors related to frequent ED visits. We also compared the characteristics of ED use in both nonfrequent and frequent users. @*Results@#A total of 5,090 panels were included, comprising 6,853 visits. Frequent users were 333 (6.5% of all panels), and their ED visits were 1,364 (19.9% of all ED visits). In the multivariable regression analysis, medical aid coverage (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] of the National Health Service coverage, 0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40–0.75), unemployment (aOR of employment, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56–0.91), prior ward admission in a year (aOR, 2.14; 95% CI, 1.67–2.75), and frequent outpatient department use (aOR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.35–2.20) were associated with frequent use. Moreover, frequent users visited the ED of public hospitals more often than than nonfrequent users (19.2% vs. 9.8%). Medical problems rather than injury/poisoning were the more common reasons for visiting the ED (84.5% vs. 71.2%). @*Conclusion@#We found that frequent ED users were likely to be those with socioeconomic disadvantage or with high demand for medical service. Based on this study, further studies on interventions to reduce frequent ED use are required for better ED services.

Onboard emergency medical equipment in Korean airlines

Objective@#This study aimed to identify the frequency of use of in-flight medical equipment and the status of medications loaded with common symptoms. @*Methods@#We conducted a survey of airlines to identify onboard medication and medical equipment from July 1 to 31, 2020. @*Results@#A total of seven airlines participated in this study (two full service and five low cost carriers). The most commonly reported frequencies of using first aid kit and emergency medical kit were less than five cases per month (57.1% and 71.4%, respectively). Most airlines were equipped with medications for burn (85.7%), abdominal pain (100%) and fever (100%), which are frequently reported in-flight medical incidents. However, only two airlines were equipped with medications for psychiatric symptoms commonly reported in-flight medical incidents. @*Conclusion@#Most airlines loaded medications for major in-flight symptoms. However, it is necessary to equip the additional medications for the burn and psychiatric symptoms.

Trends of carbon monoxide poisoning patients in emergency department: NEDIS (National Emergency Department Information System)

Objective@#We aimed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics and trends of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning in the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS). @*Methods@#Using the NEDIS data from 2014 to 2018, we included patients who had visited the emergency department (ED) with CO poisoning (T58.0 in 7th Korean Standard Classification of Diseases [KCD-7]). We excluded patients with an uncertain time of onset, uncertain intentionality of poisoning, mental state, and unknown clinical outcome. We surveyed age, sex, time of onset, the intentionality of poisoning, mental state, results of emergency treatment, the proportion of admissions to intensive care units (ICU), the outcome of hospitalization, and the regional distribution. We analyzed the rate of incidence and trends of CO poisoning in patients using time series analysis. @*Results@#A total of 18,533 patients, including 10,671 (57.6%) males and 7,862 (42.4%) females, with a mean age of 40.38±18.41 years, were included in this study. Gyeonggi Province (n=6,354, 34.3%) had the highest distribution of patients, followed by Seoul (n=3,357, 18.1%). The incidence of unintentional CO poisoning was more frequent in January and December, and less frequent in August and September. However, the incidence of intentional CO poisoning showed no seasonal variation. The severity, ICU hospitalization rate, and mortality rate for intentional CO poisoning were higher than unintentional CO poisoning (4.1% vs. 0.8%, 29.9% vs. 16.7%, and 2.0% vs. 0.8% respectively) (P<0.001). Applying Winter’s additive method, we could predict that the rate of unintentional CO poisoning would continue to increase and the seasonal fluctuation, such as cases increasing in January-December and decreasing in August-September, would also increase. @*Conclusion@#Intentional CO poisoning showed higher severity than unintentional CO poisoning. In the time series analysis, the rate of unintentional CO poisoning and seasonal fluctuation is predicted to increase.

Korean Guideline for Managing In-flight Medical Events / 항공우주의학회지

The cabin environment has many physiological effects on commercial aircraft passengers and medical providers, and environmental stress factors exist. Therefore, it is important for medical providers to understand the effects of aviation physiology and cabin environment on the human body. It should also be remembered that these physiological changes and environmental stress factors can affect passengers as well as flight crew and also medical equipment. Providing medical assistance during a flight offers a number of unique challenges including lower cabin pressure, tight quarters, crowded conditions, and loud background noise. The purpose of this Korean guideline is to offer an overview on various in-flight emergencies that could be anticipated and to outline treatment priorities.

Disaster medical response system in Korea

Disasters have frequently been a problem in Korea. Many initiatives have been carried out to mitigate this problem and to respond to disasters properly. The National Medical Emergency Center organized the Disaster Medical Response Center, which operates 24 hours a day. Regional emergency medical centers were designated as hospitals that receive disaster victims. Along with the designated disaster hospitals, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, city and district governments, and community health centers were all assigned standard roles to carry out in case of disasters. Disaster medical assistance teams were developed to respond to disaster events in their regions. This system has enabled a more rapid and systematic response to disaster events, and has standardized disaster-related medical equipment and vehicles to ensure the proper treatment of disaster victims. Although many valuable systems have been developed to respond to disasters, practical training within each institution and community-wide team training are still lacking; therefore, the government needs to further develop and support such programs.

Disaster medical response system in Korea

Disasters have frequently been a problem in Korea. Many initiatives have been carried out to mitigate this problem and to respond to disasters properly. The National Medical Emergency Center organized the Disaster Medical Response Center, which operates 24 hours a day. Regional emergency medical centers were designated as hospitals that receive disaster victims. Along with the designated disaster hospitals, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, city and district governments, and community health centers were all assigned standard roles to carry out in case of disasters. Disaster medical assistance teams were developed to respond to disaster events in their regions. This system has enabled a more rapid and systematic response to disaster events, and has standardized disaster-related medical equipment and vehicles to ensure the proper treatment of disaster victims. Although many valuable systems have been developed to respond to disasters, practical training within each institution and community-wide team training are still lacking; therefore, the government needs to further develop and support such programs.

Use of smart glasses for ultrasound-guided peripheral venous access: a randomized controlled pilot study

OBJECTIVE: Smart glasses can provide sonographers with real-time ultrasound images. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the utility of smart-glasses for ultrasound-guided peripheral venous access.METHODS: In this randomized, crossover-design, simulation study, 12 participants were recruited from the emergency department residents at a university hospital. Each participant attempted ultrasound-guided peripheral venous access on a pediatric phantom at intervals of 5 days with (glasses group) or without (non-glasses group) the use of smart glasses. In the glasses group, participants confirmed the ultrasound image through the lens of the smart glasses. In the non-glasses group, participants confirmed the ultrasound image through the display viewer located next to the phantom. Procedure time was regarded as the primary outcome, while secondary outcomes included the number of head movements for the participant, number of skin punctures, number of needle redirections, and subjective difficulty.RESULTS: No significant differences in procedural time were observed between the groups (non-glasses group: median time, 15.5 seconds; interquartile range [IQR], 10.3 to 27.3 seconds; glasses group: median time, 19.0 seconds; IQR, 14.3 to 39.3 seconds; P=0.58). The number of head movements was lower in the glasses group than in the non-glasses group (glasses group: median, 0; IQR, 0 to 0; non-glasses group: median, 4; IQR, 3 to 5; P<0.01). No significant differences in the number of skin punctures or needle restrictions were observed between the groups.CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that smart-glasses may aid in ensuring ultrasound-guided peripheral venous access by reducing head movements.

The usefulness of modified shock index for prediction of postintubation hypotension in emergency department

OBJECTIVE: Hypotension after emergent endotracheal intubation is a serious complication related to in-hospital mortality. We investigated factors including modified shock index to predict the development of hypotension after emergent intubation. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted between January 2011 and December 2016. The study population included intubated patients among all medical patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) except for patients whose systolic blood pressure was below 90 mmHg at any time before intubation. The postintubation hypotension (PIH) groups were compared with the non-PIH group. The secondary outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 285 patients were included in this study, of which 92 patients (32.3%) PIH. The age (odds ratio [OR], 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.06; P=0.001), serum albumin level (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41–0.92; P=0.019), shock index (OR, 3.25; 95% CI, 1.26–8.38; P=0.015), and modified shock index (MSI) (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.06–4.47; P=0.034) were more closely associated with PIH than any other factors. The average survival of the PIH group was significantly shorter than that of the non-PIH group (13.6±3.5 vs. 35.6±12.0, log-rank test P=0.019). CONCLUSION: Overall, 32.3% of hemodynamically stable medical patients developed PIH in ED. MSI was associated with PIH.