Clinical Analysis of Surgical Results and Preoperative Management of Acute Aortic Dissection / 대한흉부외과학회지

BACKGROUND: Acute aortic dissection associated with high mortality rate has an extremely poor prognosis if early diagnosis and treatment are not received. Recently, with advanced computed tomography and echocardiography, diagnostic rate is higher and early operation is possible. Therefore preoperative medical therapy at ER(emergency room) lowered the mortality rate. This study was done to analyze the results with preoperative management at ER and operations, retrospectively. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A series of 42 patients treated surgically for acute aortic dissections from 1991 to 2001 were included in this study. There were 18 males and 24 females. Mean age was 51.1 years. The admission course through emergency and outpatient department(OPD) was 34 and 8 respectively. RESULT: 26 patients underwent ascending aorta replacement-7 combined aortic valve replacements, 7 patients underwent descending aorta replacements and 9 patients received Bentall's operation. At emergency department, 20 patients received antihypertensive drugs and beta-receptor blockers and 6 patients died. 22 patients did not receive antihypertensive and beta-receptor block drugs and 10 patients died. There were 16(38%) overall deaths. CONCLUSION: Early diagnosis at ER or OPD is essential for acute aortic dissection, and it is important to select the most appropriate noninvasive interventions as possible. Therefore, preoperative drug therapy at ER is suggested according the patient conditions.

Problems in Completing a Death Certificate

BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to analyze the current problems in completing death certificates and to identify the correct method for completing death certificates. METHODS: We reviewed 262 death certificates in three hospitals from March 1 to April 30, 2000, and 119 death certificates in one hospital from March 1 to 31, 2000. We identified major and minor errors and analyzed and compared them retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 381 death certificates were reviewed: 59 in Seoul National University Hospital, 101 in Ewha Woman's University Hospital, and 102 in Gachon Medical College Hospital, which has no education program for completing death certificates in postgraduate training, and 119 in Samsung Medical Center which has an education program for completing death certificates. 358 certificates(94.0%) had at least one error. There were only 23 death certificates(6.0%) without an error. In 182 cases(47.8%), there was one major error. In 321 death certificates(84.3%), there were more than two errors. A comparison of Samsung Medical Center with the other hospitals showed that the number of total errors was statistically different(p=0.001). CONCLUSION: There were few death certificates without an error in this study. In a hospital which has postgraduate training in completing death certificates, there are fewer errors than in other hospitals which have no training course. Emergency physicians actually certify many deaths, so they must know the correct method of completing death certificates for statistics on morbidity and mortality.

Clinical Analysis of Mild Head Trauma in Children Admitted to Department of Emergency Medicine

BACKGROUND: Head injury is one of the most common causes of emergency department visits and hospital admission in the pediatric populations, and most injuries are mild. In mild head injury, grading of severity and decision of hospital admission are difficult in the emergency department. Recent studies have suggested that patients with a normal head CT scan and neurologic exam following head injury can be safely discharged from the emergency department. However, previous studies have relied on incomplete patient follow-up and been limited for the most part to adult population. So we performed this study to assess clinical course and the incidence of significant CNS sequelae in children with a normal head CT scan and no focal neurologic sign after mild head injuries during hospital admission and follow-up for 1 month. METHODS: We reviewal the records of children(n=209) admitted to the department of emergency medicine with closed head injuries from Jan. 1, 1996 to Dec. 31, 1996, who's initial Glasgow Coma Scale was 13 to 15, and have no focal neurologic sign and a normal head CT scan. RESULT: 209 patients were studied with a mean age of 6.8(range 3 months to 15years), and 66.5% were male. The most common mechanisms of injury were pedestrian T.A(50.2%) and fall(11.5%). Patients had a mean Glasgow coma scale of 14.8 and mean Abbreviated Injury Score of 1.3. Patients had clinical symptoms of headache(49.3%), vomiting(44.5%), loss of consciousness(LOC)(29.6%), amnesia(10.0%), sleepiness(8.6%), irritability(8.6%), confusion(2.9%) and seizure(1.9%). The mean duration of admission was 4.3 days(range: 6 hours-20 days) and the mean duration of symptom was 36.4 hours. No child developed significant CNS sequelae during hospital admission. However, during hospital admission, aye children(all were preschooler) had psychologic complication ; one child developed post-traumatic stress disorder requiring psychologic treatment for 3 months. Three children developed enuresis and two children developed night terror. During 1 month fallow-up, one child developed a symptomatic hemorrhagic contusion 5 days after the head injury, not requiring neurosurgical treatment. CONCLUSION: Among children with an initial Glasgow Coma Scale of 13 to 15, a normal head CT scan and no focal neurologic sign after mild head injuries, delayed intracranial sequelae are extremely uncommon. So these patient may be discharged home with parental supervision and education for dose observation.