Experiences of a Disaster Medical Assistant Team in the Chun-cheon Landslide Disaster

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the expierience of the Wonju Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT)'s activities during the Chun-cheon landslide (AM 00:08 on July 7th, 2011) and to present damages caused by the landslide. The scale of the domestic DMAT in the landslide disaster was also assessed. METHODS: In a retrograde study, victims were analyzed video camera recordings and medical records at the landslide disaster. Follow-up surveys of patients taken to the hospital after the Chun-cheon landslide were also analyzed. In addition, pertinence of the Wonju DMAT's activities during the rescue activity, designated by National Emergency Management, were evaluated. RESULTS: Rescue efforts continued until 13:00 on July 7th, 2011. The number of casualties was forty one, consisted of three immediate patients, six delayed patients, nineteen minimal patients, and thirteen expectant patients. The Wonju DMAT arrived at the scene of the landslide disaster at AM 02:30 on July 7th, 2011. After installing a medical office, they categorized patients by ID-ME classification and provided medical treatment to twenty-two patients, including local residents and rescue workers. CONCLUSION: The cause of death in the landslide disaster was suffocation. A small-scale DMAT rescue, composed on five to six people, is more proper for disaster response in a landslide disaster.

Experiences of a Disaster Medical Assistant Team in the Chun-cheon Landslide Disaster

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the expierience of the Wonju Disaster Medical Assistant Team (DMAT)'s activities during the Chun-cheon landslide (AM 00:08 on July 7th, 2011) and to present damages caused by the landslide. The scale of the domestic DMAT in the landslide disaster was also assessed. METHODS: In a retrograde study, victims were analyzed video camera recordings and medical records at the landslide disaster. Follow-up surveys of patients taken to the hospital after the Chun-cheon landslide were also analyzed. In addition, pertinence of the Wonju DMAT's activities during the rescue activity, designated by National Emergency Management, were evaluated. RESULTS: Rescue efforts continued until 13:00 on July 7th, 2011. The number of casualties was forty one, consisted of three immediate patients, six delayed patients, nineteen minimal patients, and thirteen expectant patients. The Wonju DMAT arrived at the scene of the landslide disaster at AM 02:30 on July 7th, 2011. After installing a medical office, they categorized patients by ID-ME classification and provided medical treatment to twenty-two patients, including local residents and rescue workers. CONCLUSION: The cause of death in the landslide disaster was suffocation. A small-scale DMAT rescue, composed on five to six people, is more proper for disaster response in a landslide disaster.

Clinical Study of Patients with All-Terrain Vehicle-related Injuries in a General Hospital

PURPOSE: Recently, all-terrain vehicle (ATV)-related injuries have increased. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze the ATV injuries in Korea. METHODS: We analyzed the patients who visited Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital emergency center with ATVrelated injuries, from 2004 January to 2008 December. The injury severity was evaluated according to the injury severity score (ISS), the revised trauma score (RTS), and the yrauma score and the injury severity score (TRISS). RESULTS: From 2004 to 2008, a total of 78 cases, 28 male and 50 female, of ATV-related injuries were reviewed. The annual incidence had increased 22.5-fold from 2004(2 cases) to 2008(45 cases). The age ranged from 8 to 68 years (median, 24 years). The most frequently injured site was the lower extremity(48.7%). The primary mechanism of injury was roll-over(35.9%), the next was falling down (33.3%). Eighty-two percent(82%) of accidents occurred on paved roads when ATVs are legislated for off-road use only. The average ISS was 6.8. In cases including both the driver and the passenger, the ISS of passengers was higher than that of drivers(7.4 vs. 4.7). Fifty percent (50%) of patients required an operation. The rate of admission was 62.8%. The average length of hospital stay was 25 days. Eighty-one percent (81%) of patients had no previous experience of operating an ATV. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of patients did not receive any formal training before operating an ATVs. CONCLUSION: Both the incidence and severity of ATV-related injuries are increasing in Korea. There is a lack of regulation enforcement and public awareness of the dangers of ATV use. The wearing of appropriate safety equipment and sufficient education about driving skills can reduce the ATVrelated injuries.

Early Aberration Reporting System Modelling of Korean Emergency Syndromic Surveillance System for Bioterrism

PURPOSE: This study were designed to supply the opportunity to make a base of emergency syndromic surveillance warning system to detect the bioterrors through the construction of predictive models which were made by reported patients in 'Emergency Syndromic Surveillance System' who were diagnosed as waterborne contagious diseases. METHODS: On this study, we used the neural network analysis methods among the data mining to analyze the reliable variables which was extracted from the reported data bases in the Emergency Syndrome Surveillance System. RESULTS : In this study, we were using the patients data pools from 13th May 2002 to 13th May 2003 in Emergency Syndrome Surveillance System. So we could get the reliable variables - clinical symptoms, severity of patient, humidity and temperature - to predict the waterborne infections. This study shows the successful predictation rate of 96% in error rate of 0.4 with sensible variables through Chisquare analysis and the construction of one hidden layer which is near linearity. CONCLUSION: Early emergency syndromic surveillance warning models made by the neural network in Emergency Syndrome Surveillance System could make the early detection of waterborne infections, could also stop the transmission of waterborne infections in early stage, and furthermore could be used as the preventive and detective methods of bioterror attacks.

Clinical Review In Geriatric Trauma Patients

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine various clinical factors for their ablity to predict mortality in geriatric patients following trauma. METHODS: In this retrospective study, medical records from Chun Cheon Sacred Heart hospital were reviewed for patients 65 years and older who sustained trauma. The following variables were extracted and examined, independently and in combination, for their ablity to predict death: age, gender, mechanism of injury, blood pressure, and respiration, pulse rate, as well as Glasgow Coma Score, Revised Trauma Score, and Injury Severity Score. These patients had entered the hospital following trauma during a 2-year period (1999-2000). RESULTS: the Injury Severity Score (more than 28), the Glasgow Coma Score (less than 9), and the Revised Trauma Score (less than 8) were variables that correlated with mortality. Mortality rates were higher for men than for women. Admission variables associated with the highest risks of death included hypotension (mean blood pressure < 78 mmHg); pedestrian and motorcycle traffic accident; skull fracture, subdural hemorrhage, and diffuse axonal injury; and hemothorax and lung contusion. CONCLUSION: Admission variables in geriatric trauma patients can be used to predict the outcome and may also be useful in making decisions about triage, and treatment of the patient.

A Case of Delayed Airway Obstruction Associated with Prevertebral Hematoma and Cervical Vertebra Fracture

Neck trauma can result in a spectrum of injuries and complications ranging from incidental to life threatening, including hemorrhagic shock, acute neurologic injury, and airway obstruction. A prevertebral hematoma associated with a cervical vertebra fracture is not a common condition, moreover, in such cases, airway obstruction is rare. If this condition occur, it may very fatal that can producing hypoxia, cyanosis, acidemia, hypoxic brain damage, and then death. For this reason, the attending physitian must careful observation and protect the airway until the hematoma is reduced and other complications relieved. Recently, we experienced a case of airway obstruction induced by cervical vertebra teardrop fracture (C5). The hematoma progressed slowly and then progressively; Finally it compressed the airway. So we present this case with a reviews of the literature.