Severe Systemic Reactions Following Bee Sting Injuries in Korea

Purpose@#Most bee sting injuries are benign, although sometimes they can result in life threatening outcomes, such as anaphylaxis and death. The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiologic status of bee sting injuries in Korea and to identify risk factors associated with severe systemic reactions (SSRs). @*Materials and Methods@#Cases were extracted from a multicenter retrospective registry for patients who had visited emergency departments (EDs) for bee sting injuries. SSRs were defined as hypotension or altered mental status upon ED arrival, hospitalization, or death. Patient demographics and injury characteristics were compared between SSR and non-SSR groups. Logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for bee sting-associated SSRs, and the characteristics of fatality cases were summarized. @*Results@#Among the 9673 patients with bee sting injuries, 537 had an SSR and 38 died. The most frequent injury sites included the hands and head/face. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the occurrence of SSRs was associated with male sex [odds ratio (95% confidence interval); 1.634 (1.133–2.357)] and age [1.030 (1.020–1.041)]. Additionally, the risk of SSRs from trunk and head/ face stings was high [2.858 (1.405–5.815) and 2.123 (1.333–3.382), respectively]. Bee venom acupuncture [3.685 (1.408–9.641)] and stings in the winter [4.573 (1.420–14.723)] were factors that increased the risk of SSRs. @*Conclusion@#Our findings emphasize the need for implementing safety policies and education on bee sting-related incidents to protect high-risk groups.

Comparison among frailty screening tools in the emergency department: a systematic review

Objective@#It is important to identify high-risk elderly patients in the emergency department (ED), and various screening tools should be used. This study aimed to find the most appropriate tool by comparing frailty screening tools used in the ED. @*Methods@#The authors searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, and KoreaMed databases for medical literature. Two or more frailty screening tools were studied. Sensitivities and values of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of each tool used in individual studies were compared. @*Results@#After the screening process, six studies using 12 tools were selected. Most of the tools had low sensitivities. The sensitivities were 90% or more in case of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Program of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy (PRISMA-7). Seniors at Risk (ISAR) tools for frailty screening, Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13) and Geriatric (G8) tools were identified for predicting postoperative mortality, and CFS, Fried and Stable, Unstable, Help to walk, Bedbound (SUHB) tools were used for determining bad composite outcomes. The areas under the curve values predicting outcome were as follows: 0.63-0.67 for death, 0.52-0.64 for postoperative death, 0.52-0.68 for postoperative adverse outcome, 0.55-0.64 for poor prognosis, 0.65-0.69 for activity daily living disability, 0.66-0.78 for functional decline, 0.58-0.61 for hospitalization, 0.57-0.59 for fall, and 0.77-0.91 for frailty screening. @*Conclusion@#It was difficult to select the most appropriate tool among the 12 frailty tools included in this review. However, Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illnesses, Loss of weight (FRAIL), Study of Osteoporotic Fracture (SOF), CFS, VES-13, and PRISMA-7 were relatively useful in the ED.

Association between body temperature measured at the emergency department with prognosis in septic shock patients

Objective@#Prior studies have explored the relationship between initial body temperature (BT) and mortality in patients with sepsis in the emergency department (ED). However, there has been no study on whether or not changes in BT are associated with prognosis in these patients. We hypothesize that BT measured upon ED arrival and septic shock registry enroll time are related to the prognosis of patients with septic shock. @*Methods@#We conducted a prospective, observational, registry-based study. Each patient was assigned to 1 of 4 groups according to BT upon ED arrival and registry enrollment. Odds ratios for 28-day mortality according to the patient group were estimated using multivariable logistic regression. We also conducted logistic regression sensitivity analysis, except for patients whose time interval between arrival and enrollment was less than 1 hour. @*Results@#A total of 2,138 patients with septic shock were included. The 28-day mortalities were 13.7%, 11.2%, 13.0%, and 25.8% in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (P<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, mean atrial pressure, respiratory rate, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, lactate concentration, comorbidity, and suspicious infection focus, the risk of mortality was significantly low in patients from group 1 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.433; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.310-0.604) and group 2 (aOR, 0.540; 95% CI, 0.336-0.868) compared with group 4. In the sensitivity analysis, group based on BT measured upon ED arrival and registry enrollment also remained an independent predictor of mortality. @*Conclusion@#Afebrile status upon ED arrival and registry enrollment were strongly associated with higher 28-day mortality in patients with septic shock.

Vasospasm-related Sudden Cardiac Death Has Outcomes Comparable with Coronary Stenosis in Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Background@#Characteristics of coronary vasospasm-related sudden cardiac death are not well understood. We aimed to compare the characteristics and clinical outcomes between coronary vasospasm and stenosis, in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survivors, who underwent coronary angiogram (CAG). @*Methods@#We conducted a multicenter retrospective observational registry-based study at 8 Korean tertiary care centers. Data of OHCA survivors undergoing CAG between 2010 and 2015 were extracted. Patients were divided into vasospasm and stenosis (stenosis > 50%) groups based on CAG findings. The primary and the secondary outcomes were survival and a good neurologic outcome at 30 days after OHCA. Patients in the vasospasm and stenosis groups were propensity score matched. @*Results@#Of the 413 included patients, vasospasm and stenosis groups comprised 87 and 326 patients, respectively. There were 279 (66.7%) survivors and 206 (49.3%) patients with good neurologic outcomes. The vasospasm group had better clinical characteristics for outcome (younger age, less diabetes and hypertension, more prehospital restoration of spontaneous circulation, higher Glasgow Coma Scale, less ST segment elevation, and less requirement of circulatory support). The vasospasm group had better survival (75/87 vs. 204/326, P < 0.001) and good neurologic outcomes (62/87 vs. 144/326, P < 0.001). However, vasospasm was not independently associated with survival (odds ratio [OR], 0.980; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.400–2.406) or neurologic outcomes (OR, 0.870; 95% CI, 0.359–2.108) after adjustment and vasospasm was not associated with survival and neurologic outcome in propensity score-matched cohorts. @*Conclusion@#Our analysis of propensity score-matched cohorts finds that vasospasm OHCA survivors have survival and neurologic outcomes comparable with those of stenotic OHCA survivors.

Outcome and status of postcardiac arrest care in Korea: results from the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry

Objective@#High-quality intensive care, including targeted temperature management (TTM) for patients with postcardiac arrest syndrome, is a key element for improving outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We aimed to assess the status of postcardiac arrest syndrome care, including TTM and 6-month survival with neurologically favorable outcomes, after adult OHCA patients were treated with TTM, using data from the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry. @*Methods@#We used the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry, a web-based multicenter registry that includes data from 22 participating hospitals throughout the Republic of Korea. Adult comatose OHCA survivors treated with TTM between October 2015 and December 2018 were included. The primary outcome was neurological outcome at 6 months. @*Results@#Of the 1,354 registered OHCA survivors treated with TTM, 550 (40.6%) survived 6 months, and 413 (30.5%) had good neurological outcomes. We identified 839 (62.0%) patients with preClinsumed cardiac etiology. A total of 937 (69.2%) collapses were witnessed, shockable rhythms were demonstrated in 482 (35.6%) patients, and 421 (31.1%) patients arrived at the emergency department with prehospital return of spontaneous circulation. The most common target temperature was 33°C, and the most common target duration was 24 hours. @*Conclusion@#The survival and good neurologic outcome rates of this prospective registry show great improvements compared with those of an earlier registry. While the optimal target temperature and duration are still unknown, the most common target temperature was 33°C, and the most common target duration was 24 hours.

Outcome and status of postcardiac arrest care in Korea: results from the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry

Objective@#High-quality intensive care, including targeted temperature management (TTM) for patients with postcardiac arrest syndrome, is a key element for improving outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We aimed to assess the status of postcardiac arrest syndrome care, including TTM and 6-month survival with neurologically favorable outcomes, after adult OHCA patients were treated with TTM, using data from the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry. @*Methods@#We used the Korean Hypothermia Network prospective registry, a web-based multicenter registry that includes data from 22 participating hospitals throughout the Republic of Korea. Adult comatose OHCA survivors treated with TTM between October 2015 and December 2018 were included. The primary outcome was neurological outcome at 6 months. @*Results@#Of the 1,354 registered OHCA survivors treated with TTM, 550 (40.6%) survived 6 months, and 413 (30.5%) had good neurological outcomes. We identified 839 (62.0%) patients with preClinsumed cardiac etiology. A total of 937 (69.2%) collapses were witnessed, shockable rhythms were demonstrated in 482 (35.6%) patients, and 421 (31.1%) patients arrived at the emergency department with prehospital return of spontaneous circulation. The most common target temperature was 33°C, and the most common target duration was 24 hours. @*Conclusion@#The survival and good neurologic outcome rates of this prospective registry show great improvements compared with those of an earlier registry. While the optimal target temperature and duration are still unknown, the most common target temperature was 33°C, and the most common target duration was 24 hours.

Prognostic Factor Analysis Including Electrocardiogram Change in Patientss with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: The prognostic factors of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are still not completely known. Several studies suggested that electrocardiogram (ECG) changes can act as a predictor of outcome in SAH patients. The purpose of this study was to describe the prognostic factors, including ECG changes, which are predictive of unfavorable outcome in non-traumatic SAH patients. METHODS: We retrospectively selected patients from our prospectively collected database of 202 SAH patients who visited the emergency medical center. The outcome was assessed using the Glasgow Coma Scale at six months after the occurrence of SAH. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, a high score in one of the conventional systems (Hunt and Hess system, World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies [WFNS] scale, and Fisher grade), advanced age, accompanying intracranial hemorrhage or intraventricular hemorrhage, ECG changes (ST depression or Tall T), and a history of hypertension were associated with unfavorable outcome. The multivariate analysis showed three prognostic factors (ECG changes, age and high score in the conventional system) for unfavorable outcome. Using this result, three novel models corresponding to the three conventional systems were constructed to predict an unfavorable outcome in such patients. The area under the curve for model 1 (containing the WFNS scale) was 0.912, that of model 2 (containing the HH system) was 0.913, and that of model 3 (containing the Fisher system) was 0.885. Compared with the WFNS, HH or Fisher grade alone, each model exhibited superior accuracy. CONCLUSION: ECG can be described as an independent predictor of poor outcome, and the novel models which contain the ECG changes were found to be more accurate in predicting an unfavorable outcome in SAH patients compared with the conventional scoring system.

Hypoalbuminemia, Low Base Excess Values, and Tachypnea Predict 28-Day Mortality in Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock Patients in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to develop a new nomogram that can predict 28-day mortality in severe sepsis and/or septic shock patients using a combination of several biomarkers that are inexpensive and readily available in most emergency departments, with and without scoring systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 561 patients who were admitted to an emergency department (ED) and received early goal-directed therapy for severe sepsis or septic shock. We collected demographic data, initial vital signs, and laboratory data sampled at the time of ED admission. Patients were randomly assigned to a training set or validation set. For the training set, we generated models using independent variables associated with 28-day mortality by multivariate analysis, and developed a new nomogram for the prediction of 28-day mortality. Thereafter, the diagnostic accuracy of the nomogram was tested using the validation set. RESULTS: The prediction model that included albumin, base excess, and respiratory rate demonstrated the largest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value of 0.8173 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.7605–0.8741]. The logistic analysis revealed that a conventional scoring system was not associated with 28-day mortality. In the validation set, the discrimination of a newly developed nomogram was also good, with an AUC value of 0.7537 (95% CI, 0.6563–0.8512). CONCLUSION: Our new nomogram is valuable in predicting the 28-day mortality of patients with severe sepsis and/or septic shock in the emergency department. Moreover, our readily available nomogram is superior to conventional scoring systems in predicting mortality.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Compression Rates during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with 120 compressions per minute (CPM) to CPR with 100 CPM in patients with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We randomly assigned patients with non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest into two groups upon arrival to the emergency department (ED). The patients received manual CPR either with 100 CPM (CPR-100 group) or 120 CPM (CPR-120 group). The primary outcome measure was sustained restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). The secondary outcome measures were survival discharge from the hospital, one-month survival, and one-month survival with good functional status. Of 470 patients with cardiac arrest, 136 patients in the CPR-100 group and 156 patients in the CPR-120 group were included in the final analysis. A total of 69 patients (50.7%) in the CPR-100 group and 67 patients (42.9%) in the CPR-120 group had ROSC (absolute difference, 7.8% points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -3.7 to 19.2%; P = 0.183). The rates of survival discharge from the hospital, one-month survival, and one-month survival with good functional status were not different between the two groups (16.9% vs. 12.8%, P = 0.325; 12.5% vs. 6.4%, P = 0.073; 5.9% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.154, respectively). We did not find differences in the resuscitation outcomes between those who received CPR with 100 CPM and those with 120 CPM. However, a large trial is warranted, with adequate power to confirm a statistically non-significant trend toward superiority of CPR with 100 CPM. (Clinical Trial Registration Information: www.cris.nih.go.kr, cris.nih.go.kr number, KCT0000231)

The Effect of Clinical Pathway for Patient with Postpartum Hemorrhage in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is a major cause of maternal death. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of clinical pathway (CP) and off-hours effects in PPH patients who visit the emergency department. METHODS: A retrospective study of PPH patients who visited the emergency department between December 1, 2005 and February 28, 2014 was conducted. A multidisciplinary team was designed for PPH in August 1, 2009. We compared time to intervention, volume of transfusion, length of stay (LOS), and uterus preservation rate between the before CP group and after CP group. RESULTS: A total of 143 post CP groups were compared with 101 before CP visits. Time to operation was less compared with the pre CP group (77 min (22-140) vs 47.5 min (13-114) p=0.011). Volume of transfusion and admission to intensive care units (ICU) were increased in the post CP group. (2 (0-16) vs 2 (0-25) p=0.045, 20 (19.8%) vs 54 (37.8%) p=0.003) LOS of ICU was lower than in the pre CP group and uterus preservation was higher than in the pre CP group. (0 day (0-43) vs 0 day (0-6) p=0.015, 82 (81.2%) vs 129 (90.2%) p=0.042) Time to angiographic embolization was less in the post-CP group with on-duty visits than in post-CP with off hours visits. (38.50 min (16-112) vs 71.0 min (28-633), p=0.025) CONCLUSION: A clinical pathway for PPH is associated with improvement of uterine preservation rate and reduced LOS of ICU. However this CP could not eliminate off-hour effects from time to intervention.

Usefulness of BUN/Albumin Ratio in Prediction of 28-day Mortality in Patients with Acute Cholangitis

PURPOSE: We evaluated the blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/albumin (B/A) ratio in patients with acute cholangitis to determine the prognostic significance of the B/A ratio as a marker of early mortality in critically ill patients with acute cholangitis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed medical records in two emergency departments (ED) and screened eligible adult patients who were admitted to the ED with acute cholangitis. The B/A ratio was evaluated as the BUN value divided by albumin level on each hospital day. The clinical outcome was mortality after 28 days. RESULTS: A total of 461 patients with acute cholangitis were included in this study. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models showed that higher B/A ratio on ED admission (day 1) (Hazard Ratio (HR): 1.182; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.076-1.298, p6.83 on day 1 (HR: 4.065; 95% CI: 4.123-43.737, p6.26) on day 4 (HR: 7.16; 95% CI: 1.412-36.333, p=0.018) in patients with acute cholangitis. Conclusion: The ratio of BUN to albumin on ED admission is a promising prognostic marker of 28-day mortality in patients with acute cholangitis. CONCLUSION: The ratio of BUN to albumin on ED admission is a promising prognostic marker of 28-day mortality in patients with acute cholangitis.

The Application of a Dried Balanced Heparin Syringe Can Attenuate the Dilution Effect in Rapid Point-of-care Potassium Testing for the Early Identification of Hyperkalemia in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE: Current methods to evaluate the blood concentration of potassium (K) on point-of-care (POC) are influenced by the relative volumes of heparin and arterial blood. Blood potassium concentration may be underestimated with a high volume of heparin or low volume of blood. This dilution effect can produce false negative results that negatively affect decision-making of clinicians and throw critical patients into crisis. We hypothesized that the application of a dried balanced heparin syringe in rapid POC-K+ could attenuate the dilution effect and would more accurately and consistently measure the concentration of potassium compared with reference testing in emergency situations. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted between January, 1, 2008 and September, 30, 2013 at an urban hospital affiliated with our institution. To attenuate the dilution effect, dried balanced heparin syringes (HS) were also used between October, 1, 2011 and September, 30, 2013. Concentrations of potassium were compared between the dried balanced HS group and the liquid HS group. The reliability of each of these outcome measures was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficient analysis. RESULTS: Application of dried balanced HS improved the degree of concordance for potassium using two different assays. The false negative rate was significantly improved from 9.1% (95% CI 7.3-11.0) to 5.7% (95% CI 3.5-8.0) in the dried balanced HS group compared with the liquid HS liquid group (p=0.037). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the usage of dried balanced HS could attenuate the dilution effect in rapid POC-K+ and predict potassium levels more accurately for identification of patients at risk of hyperkalemia in emergency situations.

The Clinical Characteristics for Emergency Endotracheal Intubation in Acute Drug Intoxication

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics in emergency endotracheal intubation between patients with acute drug intoxication and medical disease. METHODS: Data for airway registry collected in two emergency departments (ED) between April 2006 and March 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. The airway registry data included patient's demographic information and variables such as Cormack-Lehane grade, 3-3-2 finger analysis, success rate, the number of attempts at intubation, complications of intubation, and clinical outcomes after intubation. RESULTS: A total of 1480 patients were enrolled; 62 patients were classified as belonging to the intubation group after the drug intoxication group. No significant differences in Cormack-Lehane grade, 3-3-2 finger analysis, success rate, the number of attempts at intubation, and complications after intubation were observed between patients with acute drug intoxication and medical disease. However, significant difference was observed for indication of emergency endotracheal intubation. While emergency endotracheal intubations were usually performed in medical patients because of failure of airway patency, they were performed in intoxicated patients with the goal of preventing serious complications. CONCLUSION: Anatomical structures related to endotracheal intubation, the process and clinical outcome of intoxicated patients are not significantly different from those for medical patients.

Current Duty Hours of Emergency Resident Physicians in Korea: Multicenter Cross-sectional Study

PURPOSE: This study was conducted in order to determine the current status of duty hours of emergency resident physicians in Korea. METHODS: The training committee of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine surveyed using a questionnaire on resident training status, which contained the total number of duty hours during four weeks of July (first to 28th day) according to the grades of the resident physician. The proportions of both irregular working hours and independent working hours without supervision of a board certified physician were also evaluated. RESULTS: Responses from 80 hospitals out of 97 training hospitals were analyzed. The average number of duty hours of emergency resident physicians was 63.7+/-10.7 hours/week. The proportion of hospitals for which the average number of duty hours exceeded 80 hours/week was 16.1%. Irregular working hours consisted of 63.9%. Residents in 15(18.7%) hospitals worked 3.7~73.5% of their duty hours without supervision of a board certified physician. The higher grade resident had fewer working hours (p<0.001). No statistical difference was observed in the rate of both irregular work and unsupervised work according to the grade. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that nine(11.3%) hospitals had average duty hours above 80 hours/week. In Korea, training hospitals should prepare to minimize the impact of duty hour restriction in the near future, as well as to improve training quality.

Validation of the Glasgow-Blatchford score and the Pre-endoscopic Rockall Score for Predicting Active Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Emergency Department Patients with Suspected Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to validate the Glasgow-Blatchford score and the pre-endoscopic Rockall score to assess their ability to predict the presence of active bleeding in emergency department patients with suspected upper gastrointestinal bleeding. METHODS: We reviewed and extracted data from electronic medical records on patients presenting with a suspicion of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding at our emergency department from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. For each patient we calculated the Glasgow-Blatchford score and the pre-endoscopic Rockall score. Discriminative ability of the scoring systems for predicting active bleeding was evaluated by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: We identified 636 patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. There were 118 (18.6%) patients with active bleeding and 520 (81.8%) patients with need for intervention. The ROC curve analysis showed poor discriminative ability of the Glasgow-Blatchford score and the pre-endoscopic Rockall score for determining the presence of active bleeding (area under the curve (AUC)=0.546, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.490-0.602 vs. 0.576, 95% CI 0.523-0.630; p=0.34). The sensitivity and the specificity of the two scoring systems were suboptimal. However, the Glasgow-Blatchford score outperformed the pre-endoscopic Rockall score in predicting the need for clinical intervention (AUC=0.867, 95% CI 0.831-0.903 vs. 0.698, 95% CI 0.643-0.754; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The Glasgow-Blatchford score was superior in predicting the need for intervention in emergency department patients with suspected gastrointestinal hemorrhage. However, these clinical decision rules may be insufficient to predict the presence of active bleeding.

Accelerated and Exacerbated Effects of High Dietary Fat on Neuronal Damage Induced by Transient Cerebral Ischemia in the Gerbil Septum

BACKGROUND: Obesity induced by high-fat diet (HFD) is one of the most widespread metabolic disorders in current society. However, there has been little research regarding the effects of HFD-induced obesity in the septa of animal models of cerebral ischemia. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated septal effects of HFD on neuronal damage and gliosis induced by transient cerebral ischemia. METHODS: Body weight, blood glucose levels and serum lipid profiles levels were measured both in the normal diet (ND) and HFD-group. We also investigated the effects of ND and HFD on neuronal damage and gliosis in the septum after transient cerebral ischemia using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The levels of blood glucose, serum triglyceride, and total cholesterol were significantly increased in the HFD-fed gerbils compared with the ND-fed gerbils, although body weight was not significantly changed after HFD feeding. In the ND-fed gerbils, ischemia-induced neuronal damage was found in the septohippocampal nucleus (SHN) of the septum 7 days after ischemia. In the HFD-fed gerbils, ischemia-induced neuronal damage in the SHN was much more severe compared with that of the ND-fed gerbils 4 and 7 days after ischemia. In addition, we found that ischemia-induced glial activation including astrocytes and microglia was accelerated and exacerbated in the HFD-fed gerbils compared with that in the ND-fed gerbils. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that HFD can lead to much more severe effects in ischemia-induced neuronal damage/death in the septum after ischemia-reperfusion, and that it may be associated with accelerated change in glial activation.

Evaluating the Utility of Rapid Point-of-Care Potassium Testing for the Early Identification of Hyperkalemia in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in the Emergency Department

PURPOSE: Severe hyperkalemia leads to significant morbidity and mortality if it is not immediately recognized and treated. The concentration of potassium (K+) in the serum increases along with deteriorating renal function. The use of point-of-care K+ (POC-K+) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) could reduce the time for an accurate diagnosis and treatment, saving lives. We hypothesized that POC-K+ would accurately report K+ serum level without significant differences compared to reference testing, regardless of the renal function of the patient. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrospective study was performed between January 2008 and September 2011 at an urban hospital in Seoul. The screening program using POC was conducted as a critical pathway for rapid evaluation and treatment of hyperkalemia since 2008. When a patient with CKD had at least one warning symptom or sign of hyperkalemia, both POC-K+ and routine laboratory tests were simultaneously ordered. The reliability of the two assays for serum-creatinine was assessed by intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis using absolute agreement of two-way mixed model. RESULTS: High levels of reliability were found between POC and the laboratory reference tests for K+ (ICC=0.913, 95% CI 0.903-0.922) and between two tests for K+ according to changes in the serum-creatinine levels in CKD patients. CONCLUSION: The results of POC-K+ correlate well with values obtained from reference laboratory tests and coincide with changes in serum-creatinine of patients with CKD.

Performance of Reperfusion Therapy and Hospital Mortality in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients with Non-Chest Pain Complaints

PURPOSE: ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients may visit the emergency department (ED) complaining of sensations of pain other than the chest. We investigated our performance of reperfusion therapy for STEMI patients presenting with non-chest pains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective observational cohort study. STEMI patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were divided into a chest pain group and a non-chest pain group. Clinical differences between the two groups and the influence of presenting with non-chest pains on door-to-electrocardiograms (ECG) time, door-to-balloon time, and hospital mortality were evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 513 patients diagnosed with STEMI, 93 patients presented with non-chest pains. Patients in the non-chest pain group were older, more often female, and had a longer symptom onset to ED arrival time and higher Killip class than patients in the chest pain group. There was a statistically significant delay in door-to-ECG time (median, 2.0 min vs. 5.0 min; p<0.001) and door-to-balloon time (median, 57.5 min vs. 65.0 min; p<0.001) in patients without chest pain. In multivariate analysis, presenting with non-chest pains was an independent predictor for hospital mortality (odds ratio, 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-4.7). However, door-to-ECG time and door-to-balloon time were not factors related to hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: STEMI patients presenting without chest pain showed higher baseline risk and hospital mortality than patients presenting with chest pain. ECG acquisition and primary PCI was delayed for patients presenting with non-chest pains, but not influencing hospital mortality. Efforts to reduce pre-hospital time delay for these patients are necessary.

A 45degrees set Square Method for Accurate Needle Insertion in Ultrasound-guided Internal Jugular Venous Catheterization

PURPOSE: Until now, there has been no standardized method for insertion of the introducer needle in ultrasound-guided internal jugular venous catheterization (IJVC). The needle insertion site and angle have been determined by the performer's experiences. In an effort to improve first attempt success rates and reduce complications, we designed a new standardized approach (called the 45degrees set square method) for determination of the site and angle of needle insertion during ultrasound-guided IJVC. This study investigated that the clinical usefulness of the novel 45degrees set square method for ultrasound-guided IJVC in the emergency department. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study in the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary teaching hospital. Forty one patients requiring central venous catheterization were enrolled in the study. They were randomized to either the conventional ultrasound guidance group or the 45degrees set square group. The primary outcome measure was success rate within three attempts and secondary measures were the number of trials, first-attempt success, puncture time, complications, and technical difficulty score. RESULTS: All 41 participants completed this study successfully. Twenty one consecutive patients were enrolled in the 45degrees set square group and 20 were enrolled in the conventional group. The 45degrees set square group (100%) was superior to the conventional group (60%) in overall success rate within three attempts (p=0.001) and the number of attempts (p<0.001). Significant differences in puncture time (p=0.004), hematoma (p=0.048), and technical difficulty score (p<0.001) were observed between the groups. CONCLUSION: The 45degrees set square method is an effective and safe method for ultrasound-guided internal jugular venous catheterization.

Effectiveness of Cold Alcohol Scrub on Pain Associated with Arterial Blood gas Analysis

PURPOSE: Patients undergoing arterial puncture experience significant pain and discomfort. Cryoanalgesic pretreatment using vapocoolant spray and a cold alcohol swap stick can be easily and rapidly applied before arterial puncture. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of vapocoolant spray and a cold alcohol swab stick for control of pain associated with arterial blood gas analysis. METHODS: We conducted a non-blinded, randomized controlled trial in which adult patients underwent an arterial puncture after pretreatment with different analgesics. Enrolled patients were randomized to one of three treatment groups: 1) vapocoolant spray; 2) cold alcohol swap stick; or 3) alcohol swap stick stored at room temperature (control). We assessed the patient's pain after the arterial puncture using a 100-mm visual analogue scale. The difficulty associated with the arterial puncture and the likelihood of successful puncture was assessed using time to successful sampling and the number of attempts required for successful sampling. Time to successful sampling and the number of attempts required for successful sampling were used for assessment of the difficulty associated with the arterial puncture and the likelihood of successful puncture. RESULTS: A total of 101 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean scores for pain after the arterial puncture were 41.2+/-11.7 mm for patients treated with vapocoolant spray, 35.9+/-8.6 mm for patients treated with a cold alcohol swap stick, and 66.2+/-8.5 mm for the control group (p<0.001). The time to successful sampling was less consumed and the number of attempts was significantly lower in the treatment groups, compared with the control group (p=0.002 and p=0.008, respectively). CONCLUSION: We conclude that pretreatment using a cold alcohol swap stick as well as vapocoolant spray resulted in a decrease in patients' perception of pain associated with arterial puncture and facilitated the arterial puncture.