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1.
Vaccines (Basel) ; 11(9)2023 Sep 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37766181

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Despite the high vaccination coverage rate, in-hospital transmission of measles continues to occur in South Korea. We present a measles outbreak in which two healthcare workers (HCWs) with presumptive evidence of measles immunity were infected by a patient with typical measles at a single hospital in South Korea. This facilitated the evaluation of measles seroprevalence in all HCWs. METHODS: In 2018, suspected patients and contacts exposed during a measles outbreak were investigated based on their medical histories and vaccination status. Cases were confirmed by the detection of measles-specific immunoglobulin M or RNA. After the measles outbreak in 2018, measles IgG testing was conducted on a total of 972 HCWs for point-prevalence, including those exposed to the measles. In addition, we have routinely performed measles IgG tests on newly employed HCWs within one week of their hire date since 2019. The measles vaccine was administered to HCWs who tested negative or equivocally negative for IgG antibodies. RESULTS: An index patient who returned from China with fever and rash was diagnosed with measles at a hospital in Korea. Two additional HCWs were revealed as measles cases: one was vaccinated with the two-dose measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, and the other, who was born in 1967, was presumed to have immunity from natural infection in South Korea. All three patients harbored the same D8 genotype. No additional measles cases were identified among the 964 contacts of secondary patients. A total of 2310 HCWs, including those tested during the 2018 outbreak, underwent measles IgG tests. The average age at the time of the test was 32.6 years, and 74.3% were female. The overall seropositivity of measles was 88.9% (95% confidence interval, 87.5-90.1). Although the birth cohorts between 1985 and 1994 were presumed to have received the measles-rubella (MR) catch-up vaccination in 2001, 175 (89.3%) HCWs were born after 1985 among the 195 seronegative cases. CONCLUSION: Despite high population immunity, imported measles transmission occurred among HCWs with presumed immunity. This report underscores the importance of understanding the prevalence of measles susceptibility among newly employed HCWs. This is important for policymaking regarding hospital-wide vaccinations to prevent the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.

2.
Emerg Med Int ; 2022: 6864756, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35169515

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Recently, D-dimer has been suggested as a biomarker to rule out acute aortic syndrome (AAS). Since it increases with age, this study was conducted to reveal whether an age-adjusted D-dimer can increase diagnostic accuracy in ruling out AAS. METHOD: A retrospective observational study design was used. Consecutive adult patients who visited an emergency room between January 2015 and September 2020 and who underwent a D-dimer test and computed tomography angiography for suspected AAS were enrolled. We calculated the diagnostic accuracy of both the conventional (0.5 µg/ml) and age-adjusted (age × 0.01 in patients >50 years) D-dimer cut-offs. RESULT: D-dimer was higher in the AAS group (n = 82) than in the non-AAS group (n = 122) (10.85 (3.61-33.12) vs. 0.40 (0.23-1.07), OR: 1.139 (CI: 1.085 - 1.195), p < 0.001). The D-dimer plasma level had an area under the ROC curve of 0.915 (CI: 0.873-0.956) with AAS. At the age-adjusted cutoff point compared to a 0.5 µg/ml cutoff, the sensitivity of 97.6% and the NLR of 0.04 did not change, but the specificity increased by 5.7% to 65.6%, the PPV increased by 3.6% to 65.6%, and the NPV slightly increased by 0.2% to 97.6%. CONCLUSION: Compared with a conventional method, the age-adjusted D-dimer cutoff may have higher specificity and PPV while maintaining high sensitivity for ruling out AAS.

3.
Emerg Med Int ; 2021: 4624746, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34966563

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Identification of the prehospital factors associated with a poor prognosis of immediate traumatic arrest should help reduce unwarranted treatment. We aim to reveal the clinical factors related to death after traumatic arrest on the scene. METHODS: We performed a multicenter (4 tertiary hospitals in urban areas of South Korea) retrospective study on consecutive adult patients with trauma arrest on scene who were transferred by fire ambulance from January 2016 to December 2018. Patients with death on arrival in the emergency room (ER) were excluded. Prehospital data were collected from first aid records, and information on each patient's survival outcome in the ER was collected from an electronic database. Patients were divided into ER death and ER survival groups, and variables associated with prehospital trauma were compared. RESULTS: A total of 145 (84.3%) and 27 (15.7%) patients were enrolled in the ER death and survival groups, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that asystole (OR 4.033, 95% CI 1.342-12.115, p = 0.013) was related to ER death and that ROSC in the prehospital phase (OR 0.100, 95% CI 0.012-0.839, p = 0.034) was inversely related to ER death. In subgroup analysis of those who suffered fall injuries, greater height of fall was associated with ER death (15.0 (5.5-25.0) vs. 4.0 (2.0-7.5) meters, p = 0.001); the optimal height cutoff for prediction of ER death was 10 meters, with 66.1% sensitivity and 100% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of traumatic arrest, asystole, no prehospital ROSC, and falls from a greater height were associated with trauma death in the ER. Termination of resuscitation in traumatic arrest cases should be done on the basis of comprehensive clinical factors.

4.
Emerg Med Int ; 2021: 9976543, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34234966

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous pneumothorax should be classified as primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) or secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) because treatment strategies may differ depending on underlying lung conditions and clinical course. The pulmonary dysfunction can lead to changes in end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2). The aim of this study was to investigate the difference in ETCO2 between PSP and SSP. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included adult patients diagnosed with spontaneous pneumothorax in the emergency room from April 2019 to September 2020. We divided patients into PSP and SSP groups and compared ETCO2 variables between the two groups. RESULTS: There were 33 (66%) patients in the PSP group and 17 (34%) patients in the SSP group. Initial ETCO2 was lower in the SSP group than in the PSP group (30 (23-33) vs. 35 (33-38) mmHg, p=0.002). Multivariate analysis revealed that respiratory gas associated with SSP was initial ETCO2 (OR: 0.824; 95% CI: 0.697-0.974, p=0.023). The optimal cutoff for initial ETCO2 to detection of SSP was 32 mmHg (area under curve, 0.754), with 76.5% sensitivity and 72.7% specificity. CONCLUSION: ETCO2 monitoring is a reliable noninvasive indicator of differentiating between PSP and SSP. Initial ETCO2 lower than 32 mmHg is a predictor of SSP.

5.
Medicine (Baltimore) ; 99(33): e21685, 2020 Aug 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32872040

ABSTRACT

Chest injuries are common and inevitable complications of chest compressions during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This study aimed to investigate lung parenchymal and thoracic skeletal injuries after CPR by using computed tomography (CT) and to analyze the correlation between the duration of CPR and related complications.We examined 43 non-traumatic cardiac arrest patients who were successfully resuscitated after CPR and had chest CT scans within 24 hours of CPR. Lung parenchymal injuries were assessed by quantifying the lung contusion score (LCS) on the CT images, and each skeletal injury was investigated by classifying the location and the distribution. Other CPR-related chest injuries were also described, such as pleural effusion/hemothorax, pneumothorax, and retrosternal hematoma. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine whether the duration of CPR was correlated with each complication.Lung contusions were found in all of the patients (mean LCS: 22, range: 5-47). The distribution of lung contusions were predominantly in the bilateral dependent portions of the lungs (41 patients). All of the rib fractures occurred in the anterior arc (43 patients), and the sternal fractures occurred predominantly in the mid-sternal body (31 patients). In patients younger than 70 years old, the number of rib fractures significantly increased among those who underwent CPR for more than 25 minutes compared to those who received CPR for less than 25 minutes (median 4.5 vs 9; mean 8.3 vs 5.6 per person, respectively; P = .035). The risk of sternal fracture tended to be higher for patients who received CPR for more than 10 minutes compared to those who received CPR for less than 10 minutes (odds ratio: 3.60; 95% confidence interval: 0.86-15.06; P = .079). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the duration of CPR and LCS or other CPR-related chest injuries.The duration of CPR was associated with the number of rib fractures and the occurrence of sternal fractures, but it did not affect the extent of CPR-related lung contusions or other CPR-related chest injuries. All of the rib fractures occurred in the anterior arc, while the sternal fractures occurred predominantly in the mid-sternal body. However, since this study was conducted in a single institution, the number of patients included was relatively small, thus limiting the statistical analysis.


Subject(s)
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/adverse effects , Lung Injury/diagnostic imaging , Rib Fractures/diagnostic imaging , Sternum/diagnostic imaging , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods , Child , Female , Humans , Lung Injury/etiology , Male , Middle Aged , Multidetector Computed Tomography , Retrospective Studies , Rib Fractures/etiology , Sternum/injuries , Time Factors , Young Adult
6.
Emerg Med Int ; 2020: 4947192, 2020.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32953179

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Clinical presentations of acute appendicitis (AA) and acute right-sided colonic diverticulitis (ARCD) are similar. However, the usual treatment for each disease differs between surgical and conservative management. The aim of this study was to identify clinical differences between AA and ARCD. METHOD: We performed a single-center retrospective study on adult patients, with uncomplicated AA and ARCD confirmed by computed tomography, who visited an emergency department between March 2018 and August 2019. Clinical variables including past medical history, presented symptoms and signs, and laboratory findings were compared between the two groups. A logistic regression analysis was subsequently performed to differentiate ARCD from AA based on results of univariate analyses. RESULTS: A total of 212 (79.1%) and 56 (20.9%) patients were enrolled in AA and ARSD groups, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a past history of diverticulitis [OR: 102.679 (95% CI: 9.964-1058.055), p < 0.001] was associated with ARCD, while ketonuria [OR: 2.907 (95% CI: 1.091-7.745), p=0.033], anorexia [OR: 21.544 (95% CI: 3.905-118.868), p < 0.001], and neutrophilia [OR: 3.406 (95% CI: 1.243-9.336), p=0.017] were associated with AA. CONCLUSION: Anorexia, neutrophilia, and ketonuria were predictors of AA while a history of diverticulitis was a predictor of ARCD.

7.
Clin Exp Emerg Med ; 7(2): 114-121, 2020 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32635702

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Prompt reperfusion is important for patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, patients often require interhospital transfer for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) because not all hospitals can provide. The purpose of this study is to reduce the PCI delay using a regionalization protocol in patients with STEMI following transfer from another hospital lacking PCI facility. METHODS: We established a revascularization protocol designated as Preparing Revascularization Effort before Patients' Arrival via Regionalization Engagement (PREPARE) for the STEMI patients transferred from an outside regional hospital. The protocol included immediate referral acceptance by an emergency physician, real-time electrocardiogram sharing via mobile phone and early activation of the PCI team. We analyzed the differences between the PREPARE and the non-PREPARE groups. RESULTS: In the PREPARE group, the median time from the first hospital visit to the ballooning procedure via PCI at the receiving facility (D1-to-B time) was 111.0 (interquartile range 97.0-130.0) minutes, which was significantly shorter than in the non-PREPARE group 134.0 (interquartile range 115.0-182.0) minutes. The proportion of D1-to-B time within 120 minutes was 30.4% in the group and 60.0% in the PREPARE group, which represents a significant difference (P=0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that patient transfer via PREPARE protocol (odds ratio, 3.399; 95% confidence interval, 1.150-10.050, P=0.027) was related to adequate D1-to-B time. No statistically significant differences were found in the hospital length of stay or major adverse cardiac events within 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: The PREPARE protocol is an effective strategy to reduce the time to revascularization of the transferred STEMI patients.

8.
J Korean Med Sci ; 35(7): e54, 2020 Feb 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32080988

ABSTRACT

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool that is widely used in the emergency and intensive care areas. In Korea, insurance coverage of ultrasound examination has been gradually expanding in accordance with measures to enhance Korean National Insurance Coverage since 2017 to 2021, and which will continue until 2021. Full coverage of health insurance for POCUS in the emergency and critical care areas was implemented in July 2019. The National Health Insurance Act classified POCUS as a single or multiple-targeted ultrasound examination (STU vs. MTU). STU scans are conducted of one organ at a time, while MTU includes scanning of multiple organs simultaneously to determine each clinical situation. POCUS can be performed even if a diagnostic ultrasound examination is conducted, based on the physician's decision. However, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service plans to monitor the prescription status of whether the POCUS and diagnostic ultrasound examinations are prescribed simultaneously and repeatedly. Additionally, MTU is allowed only in cases of trauma, cardiac arrest, shock, chest pain, and dyspnea and should be performed by a qualified physician. Although physicians should scan all parts of the chest, heart, and abdomen when they prescribe MTU, they are not required to record all findings in the medical record. Therefore, appropriate prescription, application, and recording of POCUS are needed to enhance the quality of patient care and avoid unnecessary cut of medical budget spending. The present article provides background and clinical guidance for POCUS based on the implementation of full health insurance coverage for POCUS that began in July 2019 in Korea.


Subject(s)
Critical Care , Emergency Service, Hospital , Insurance Coverage , Point-of-Care Systems , Ultrasonography , Critical Care/statistics & numerical data , Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Insurance Coverage/statistics & numerical data , Practice Patterns, Physicians' , Republic of Korea , Ultrasonography/statistics & numerical data
9.
Omega (Westport) ; 81(3): 436-453, 2020 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29898635

ABSTRACT

Completing an advance directive offers individuals the opportunity to make informed choices about end-of-life care. However, these decisions could be influenced in different ways depending on how the information is presented. We randomly presented 185 participants with four distinct types of advance directive: neutrally framed (as reference), negatively framed, religiously framed, and a combination. Participants were asked which interventions they would like to receive at the end of life. Between 60% and 70% of participants responded "accept the special interventions" on the reference form. However, the majority (70%-90%) chose "refuse the interventions" on the negative form. With respect to the religious form, 70% to 80% chose "not decided yet." Participants who refused special life-sustaining treatments were older, female, and with better prior knowledge about advance directives. Our findings imply that the specific content of advance directives could affect decision-making with regard to various interventions for end-of-life care.


Subject(s)
Advance Directives/psychology , Advance Directives/statistics & numerical data , Decision Making , Terminal Care/psychology , Terminal Care/statistics & numerical data , Age Factors , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Seoul , Sex Factors
10.
Eur J Emerg Med ; 27(3): 193-196, 2020 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31724971

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of parental involvement in the manual reduction of pulled elbow in children. METHODS: We conducted a prospective case-control study from January to December 2018. The patients were under 6 years old with suspected radial head subluxation and were randomly assigned to two groups (an intervention group with a physician's and a parent's finger placed on the patient's radial head and a control group with the physician's finger only placed on the patient's radial head) according to the method of reduction. The results of a questionnaire given to the parent and physician were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients were included in the study: 75 in the intervention group and 75 in the control group. There were no significant differences between the groups. The average number of attempts at manual reduction was 1.29 ± 0.73 in the intervention group and 1.31 ± 0.72 in the control group (P = 0.91) and the success rate of manual reduction was 96.0 and 94.7% (P = 0.70), respectively. The ease of conducting the procedure by the doctors did not show a significant difference between the two groups. However, the parents' understanding and satisfaction was significantly higher in the intervention group. CONCLUSION: Parental involvement did not affect the procedure of physician, but it improved the understanding and satisfaction of the parents.


Subject(s)
Elbow , Joint Dislocations , Case-Control Studies , Child , Humans , Joint Dislocations/therapy , Parents , Prospective Studies
11.
Clin Exp Emerg Med ; 6(3): 257-263, 2019 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31571442

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The point-of-care ultrasound of the airway (POCUS-A) is a useful examination method but there are currently no educational programs for medical students regarding it. We designed a POCUS-A training curriculum for medical students to improve three cognitive and psychomotor learning domains: knowledge of POCUS-A, image acquisition, and image interpretation. METHODS: Two hours of training were provided to 52 medical students in their emergency medicine (EM) rotation. Students were evaluated for cognitive and psychomotor skills before and immediately after the training. The validity measures were established with the help of six specialists and eight EM residents. A survey was administered following the curriculum. RESULTS: Cognitive skill significantly improved after the training (38.7±12.4 vs. 91.2±7.7) and there was no significant difference between medical students and EM residents in posttest scores (91.2±7.7 vs. 90.8±4.6). The success rate of overall POCUS-A performance was 95.8%. The students were confident to perform POCUS-A on an actual patient and strongly agreed to incorporate POCUS-A training in their medical school curriculum. CONCLUSION: Cognitive and psychomotor skills of POCUS-A among medical students can be improved via a limited curriculum on EM rotation.

12.
Biomed Res Int ; 2017: 8147075, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28459070

ABSTRACT

Objectives. Lung ultrasonography (LUS) is a useful examination to identify lung problems. Unfortunately, there are currently no LUS educational programs for medical students. We designed a brief LUS training course for medical students during the ED rotation. The purpose of training was improving cognitive and psychomotor learning domains, knowledge of ultrasound, knowledge of LUS, image acquisition, and image interpretation. Methods. Forty students in their fourth year of medical school were enrolled in this study. Student achievement was evaluated through examinations of cognitive and psychomotor skills. A survey was administered following the training. Results. The average test result was 42.1 ± 13.7 before training and 82.6 ± 10.7 after training. With respect to the assessment of LUS performance, the acceptable rates for right and left anterior chest wall scanning and right and left posterolateral scanning were 95%, 97.5%, 92.5%, and 100%, respectively. The students felt a high level of confidence in their ability to administer LUS to patients after training and they agreed that inclusion of LUS training in the medical school curriculum is necessary. Conclusion. This study showed that, among the medical students without ultrasound experience, limited LUS education to improve their knowledge, image acquisition, and interpretation ability was successful.


Subject(s)
Education, Medical, Undergraduate , Lung Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Students, Medical , Ultrasonography , Adult , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods , Education, Medical, Undergraduate/statistics & numerical data , Educational Measurement , Female , Humans , Male , Pilot Projects , Prospective Studies
13.
PLoS One ; 12(3): e0174581, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28355246

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to evaluate a problem-oriented focused torso bedside ultrasound protocol termed "Sonographic Evaluation of Aetiology for Respiratory difficulty, Chest pain, and/or Hypotension" (SEARCH 8Es) for its ability to narrow differential diagnoses and increase physicians' diagnostic confidence, and its diagnostic accuracy, for patients presenting with dyspnea, chest pain, or symptomatic hypotension. METHODS: This single-center prospective observational study was conducted over 12 months in an emergency department and included 308 patients (184 men and 124 women; mean age, 67.7 ± 19.1 years) with emergent cardiopulmonary symptoms. The paired t-test was used to compare the number of differential diagnoses and physician's level of confidence before and after SEARCH 8Es. The overall accuracy of the SEARCH 8Es protocol in differentiating 13 diagnostic entities was evaluated based on concordance (kappa coefficient) with the diagnosis made by the inpatient specialists. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were calculated. RESULTS: SEARCH 8Es narrows the number of differential diagnoses (2.5 ± 1.5 vs. 1.4 ± 0.7; p < 0.001) and improves physicians' diagnostic confidence (2.8 ± 0.8 vs. 4.3 ± 0.9; p < 0.001) significantly. The overall kappa coefficient value was 0.870 (p < 0.001), with the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value at 90.9%, 99.0%, 89.7%, and 99.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The SEARCH 8Es protocol helps emergency physicians to narrow the differential diagnoses, increase diagnostic confidence and provide accurate assessment of patients with dyspnea, chest pain, or symptomatic hypotension.


Subject(s)
Chest Pain/diagnostic imaging , Dyspnea/diagnostic imaging , Hypotension/diagnostic imaging , Point-of-Care Systems , Ultrasonography/methods , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Chest Pain/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Dyspnea/diagnosis , Emergency Service, Hospital , Female , Humans , Hypotension/diagnosis , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity
15.
Kidney Blood Press Res ; 41(6): 865-872, 2016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27871081

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with renal infarction. METHODS: A single-center retrospective study was conducted from January 2005 to December 2013. Baseline and clinical characteristics of the enrolled patients with renal infarction were evaluated and analyzed according to the presence of AKI and CKD. In particular, predictors for AKI and CKD were determined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 105 patients included in present study, 41 (39.0%) patients had AKI. A total of 80 patients were followed up for 2 years after hospital discharge. Among these patients, 27 (33.8%) patients had CKD. In the multivariate analysis, the predictors were mean blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] 1.062, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.015-1.112, p = 0.009) and bilateral involvement (OR 4.396, 95% CI 1.096-17.632, p = 0.037) for AKI, and AKI (OR 14.799, 95% CI 4.173-52.490, p < 0.001) and old age (OR 1.065, 95% CI 1.016-1.116, p = 0.009) for CKD. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians should pay attention to the development of AKI and CKD after renal infarction and follow patients over a long term.


Subject(s)
Acute Kidney Injury/etiology , Infarction/complications , Kidney/blood supply , Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/etiology , Acute Kidney Injury/epidemiology , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Blood Pressure , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Infarction/epidemiology , Kidney/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors
16.
Clin Exp Emerg Med ; 3(3): 186-189, 2016 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27752639

ABSTRACT

Podostroma cornu-damae is a rare, deadly fungus. However, it can be easily mistaken for antler Ganoderma lucidum. In this case report, two patients made tea with the fungus and drank it over a 2-week period. Both patients presented with bicytopenia, and one patient had desquamation of the palms and soles. Both were treated with prophylactic antibiotics and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. One patient was admitted to the intensive care unit and received a platelet transfusion. Both patients were discharged without complications. Podostroma cornu-damae infections caused by intoxication were successfully treated using our treatment strategy, which consisted of prophylactic antibiotics, platelet transfusion, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. We believe this report can guide future treatment.

17.
Biomed Res Int ; 2016: 1849134, 2016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27340652

ABSTRACT

Introduction. The goal of this study was to determine the preventive effect on head injury by helmet type: full face helmet (FFH), open face helmet (OFH), and half-coverage helmet (HCH). Methods. This is a retrospective observational study of motorcycle crash victims between June 2012 and May 2015 in a rural town in Korea. We performed multiple linear regression to predict the effect of each type of helmet compared to unhelmeted status in preventing head injury using dependent variables based on the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) and applied logistic regression modeling to compare the incidence of head injury. Results. Of the 738 patients, the number of FFH patients was 33.5%, followed by unhelmeted (27.8%), OFH (17.6%), and HCH (13.0%) patients. The FFH and OFH group had a lower head maximum AIS than unhelmeted group (coefficient: -0.368, 95% CI: -0.559 to -0.177 and coefficient: -0.235, 95% CI: -0.459 to -0.010, resp.) and only FFHs experienced a reduction effect of severe and minor head injury (OR: 0.206, 95% CI: 0.080 to 0.533 and OR: 0.589, 95% CI: 0.377 to 0.920, resp.). Conclusions. FFHs and OFHs reduce the risk of head injury, and FFHs have a more preventive effect on head injury in motorcycle crashes.


Subject(s)
Accident Prevention/instrumentation , Craniocerebral Trauma/prevention & control , Head Protective Devices/standards , Accidents , Adult , Female , Humans , Korea , Logistic Models , Male , Motorcycles , Retrospective Studies , Risk , Rural Population
18.
J Int Med Res ; 43(6): 841-50, 2015 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26659259

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the duration and obstacles to prolonged on-scene cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and establish how long a pair of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) can provide high-quality CPR. METHOD: Intermediate-level EMTs in Gyeonggi-do Province, Republic of Korea completed a survey regarding on-scene CPR. EMTs undergoing routine training took part in a simulation using mannequins. Parameters including compression depth, total number and rate of compressions; occurrence of incorrect hand position and incomplete chest recoil were collected over 16 2-min cycles of CPR (32 min total), with EMTs working in pairs. RESULT: The simulation study included 43 EMTs. The median duration of on-scene CPR was 3.7 min. Fear of decrease in performance was the main obstacle to continued CPR (n = 188/254 [74.0%]). Standards for high-quality CPR were met at each of the 16 steps of the simulation. Compression rate increased significantly with time. There were no significant changes in any other parameter. CONCLUSION: Pairs of EMTs maintained high-quality CPR for 16 cycles (32 min) with no decrease in performance. Our findings could provide evidence to recommend guidelines for duration of on-scene CPR for cardiac arrest, particularly in countries where the level and number of ambulance crews are limited.


Subject(s)
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/standards , Emergency Medical Technicians/standards , Body Mass Index , Computer Simulation , Humans , Surveys and Questionnaires , Time Factors
19.
Clin Toxicol (Phila) ; 48(6): 516-21, 2010 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20528619

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Dapsone is used as an antibiotic for leprosy and for dermatological disorders and may cause methemoglobinemia. The aims of this study are to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with dapsone ingestion to identify risk factors associated with mortality. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective observational study of adult ED patients with methemoglobinemia because of dapsone intoxication admitted to a tertiary care hospital from September 2003 to December 2008. Data collected included demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics, as well as survival to discharge. Characteristics of young (less than or equal to 55 years) and older (greater than age 55) patients were compared. The main outcome was in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: There were 46 patients included in the study. The minimum intoxication dose was two 100 mg tablets and the maximum was 100 tablets. Changes in mental status were more common in the older patients. Methemoglobin levels were slightly higher in the younger patients, but both groups were treated with similar doses of methylene blue. Shock and death were more common in the older patients. CONCLUSIONS: Late presentation to medical care and an altered mental status at the time of presentation were predictive of death after dapsone intoxication. Methemoglobin levels tended to be higher in those who died.


Subject(s)
Dapsone/poisoning , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Emergency Service, Hospital , Female , Humans , Male , Methemoglobinemia/chemically induced , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies
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