Adequacy of Direct Laryngoscope Brightness in 26 Emergency Rooms

PURPOSE: To determine adequacy of brightness and proper brightness of the direct laryngoscope in emergency departments. METHODS: We investigated blade and handle in 26 hospitals in Seoul and made 110 combination. We excluded malfunction and non-fixed combination, and measured the lux of each combination. We divided results into two groups (bulb type and fiber type) in two ways (adult type and pediatric type). RESULTS: In the 110 combinations, the median lux value was 836.25. The number of laryngoscopes in which brightness exceeded International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommended value of the 700 was 67. There was no statistically significant difference in median lux between fiber type and bulb type (847.5 vs 802.0; p=0.870), while the brightness of the pediatric type was brighter than the adult type. A questionnaire of laryngoscope management revealed no regular basis of use, and complete absence of awareness of brightness criteria. CONCLUSION: An improved laryngoscope managing system is essential including regular criteria for laryngoscope management.

Exposure to Power Frequency Magnetic Fields in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE: We use many electronic devices for treating patients in our emergency department. Several studies have reported an association between electromagnetic field exposure and risk of cancer and other diseases. Our purpose was to measure the intensity of power-frequency magnetic fields in the emergency department and evaluate the conditions exceeded regulation guidelines for power-frequency magnetic fields. METHODS: Extremely low frequency magnetic fields were measured at 78 ordinary working spots in our tertiary hospital's emergency department (ED) and evaluated according to national regulatory guidelines and SWEDAC. Each spot was measured four times. During measurement, every electrical device in the emergency department was turned on. RESULTS: The average intensity of the magnetic fields in our emergency department was 0.99+/-1.27 mG. The maximum intensity was 8.3 mG, which was found in the pediatric section. CONCLUSION: The power-frequency magnetic field intensities of the various sections of our ED did not exceed national regulatory guidelines. However, pediatric and the minor emergency section showed magnetic fields intensities far above 2 mG. We found these high values outside the pediatric and waiting sections, where the electrical cabinet panel was located. We conclude that the electrical cabinet panel should be shielded and that similar studies are needed for other emergency departments.