Prehospital Trauma Care System in Seoul by 119 Rescue Services

BACKGROUND: Despite continous efforts to improve the prehospital trauma care system in Korea, the preventable death rate has been reported to be high. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prehospital trauma care system in Seoul by analyzing 119 rescue databases. METHODS: The 119 rescue data bases of 22,275 trauma patients, who were transported to the secondary and tertiary hospital in Seoul by Seoul 119 rescue services from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2000, were analyzed. RESULTS: The response time(mean 3.7 min.) showed no time, weekly, and regional variations. However, the transport time from field to hospital showed was high in the morning rush hour(7:00 to 10:00 am), and was gradually decreased and the lowest between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am. There was also a regional variation in the transport time, which was short in the central area and long in the peripheral area of Seoul. Prehospital cares were given to the 10,999 trauma patients(49.4%). Of the 464 unresponsive patients(2%), only 236 patients were identified in transported hospitals. The outcomes of these unresponsive patients were DOA(54%), survival(19%), death in ER(14%), transfer to other hospitals(8%), and death after admission(5%) in order. CONCLUSION: We suggest that this study may be helpful to the establishment and improvement of the prehospital trauma care system as well as the determination of the adequate numbers and locations of trauma center in Seoul.

Difference of Perception around Emergency Circumstances between 119 Rescuer and Utilizer

This study was performed to investigate satisfaction of 119 rescue users and to know how much different in perception around emergency circumstance between 119 rescuers and users. We reviewed emergency care records of users who were transported by 119 rescue of six agencies in Chungnam province from July 13, 1998 to August 8, 1998, and in order to find real utilization pictures and users' satisfaction, we analysed 113 mail questionnaires with perfect address and answers at January, 1999. The difference about perception around emergency circumstances between users and rescuers were as follows, degree of coincidence about mental state was 28.6% in alert, 61.9% in stupor, 28.6% in coma. Also, the degree of coincidence about patient 's severity was 50.0% in emergent, 64.1% in urgent, 19.4% in nonurgent. Difference between rescuers and users about duration from 119 call receipt to scene arrival The reason of satisfaction about 119 rescue service was 94.7% in kindness, 79.6% in equipment and facilities. Factors about dissatisfaction were delayed time(25.0%), insufficient equipment(19.2%), etc.