• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.291-297
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• 1998

Sternal fractures, once thought of as an uncommon phenomenon, have occurred with an increasing frequency, paralleling the incidence of motor vehicle accidents. The tremendous force necessary to cause sternal fracture and this bone's prominent position overlying major intrathoracic and mediastinal structures, have important implications in the assessment and treatment of patients. This evaluation is based on the review of 72 patients of traumatic sternal fracture treated at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul Adventist Hospital during the last 4 years from March 1993 to February 1997. The frequency was 12.2% of nonpenetrating chest trauma and average age was 43.2 years old. Automobile accidents(84%) and sternal body fractures(95.8%) with anterior displacements(19.4%) was the most common cause and fracture site. Increase of cardiac isoenzymes was more frequent and higher in sternal fracture than chest contusion but there was no relationship between the time to take normalization of them and the mode of trauma.

• International Journal of Highway Engineering
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2010

Management of driver hours of service (HOS) for commercial vehicle operators has been a continual safety challenge. One of the more critical issues to government and motor carriers is fatigue and fatigue-related accidents. To reduce truck drivers’fatigue-related accident risk in other countries, the government issued the HOS regulations. However, korea government does not have any HOS regulations. The objective of this research gives the clues that korea should have the HOS regulation to reduce truck drivers’fatigue-related accident risk. This study examines the HOS regulation over other countries and conducts relative accident risk analysis using the real data from 3 freight companies. The data set includes 231 accident involved drivers and 462 non-accident drivers. Therefore, the size of the total data set is 693 drivers. One of the most important aspects of early studies of safety and HOS was the need to characterize continuous driving by using the notion of "survival". Subsequent research used a data replication scheme and logistic regression to capture the survival effect. This study uses time-dependent logistic regression. The test of significance between parameters indicates that the first three hours are almost the same risk. In the 10th hour of driving, the risk was more than 2.2times that in the baseline first hour. In conclusion, as driving time goes on, the crash risk increases.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.629-634
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• 2017

In the case of the UHP (Ultra high performance) tire that the demand has increased rapidly, compared with the commonly used tire, severe deformation has been observed because of the low aspect ratio. When repeated deformations are applied to the sidewall rubber, accumulated fatigue damage may cause fatigue failure. Thus, the evaluation of the durability of the tire sidewall rubber has become a very important issue to prevent accidents that occur while the vehicle is running. However, the research and design criteria for the durability performance of the tire sidewall rubber hardly exist. In this study, we suggest a lifetime prediction formula using strain energy density obtained by performing tensile tests and fatigue tests on two different kinds of the tire sidewall compounds. Additionally, the applicability of our findings for low fuel consumption tires was reviewed by converting the fatigue life of the sidewall rubber into the expected mileage of the tire.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.174-184
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• 1991

To determine the incidence rate of accidents and its associated factors, a prospective survey was carried out in a rural area of a total of 1,360 residents for 1 year from January 1 to December 31, 1988 in Shin-am Ri, Jungdong Myun, Sangju Kun, Kyungpook Province. Data for accidents were collected by the community health practitioner who is working at Primary Health Post in Shin-am Ri. A total number of accident cases was 85 among 1,360 persons during one year study period, and annual incidence rate was 62.5 per 1,000 persons. The highest incidence rate of accident was observed in the age group of 30-39 was 179.8. The incidence rate of accident in male was 86.5 which was about 2 times that in female. In male, the highest incidence rate was seen in 30-39 age group and in female, 60-69 age group. The highest incidence rate of accident was observed in spring(29.4%) and summer(29.4%), and the lowest in fall(17.7%). The highest incidence rate of accident was observed in Friday(24.5%) by day of week, and between 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. by time zone. The most frequent use of medical facilities was Primary Health Post(51.8%) and the next was clinic(38.8%). Mean duration of treatment was 9.8 days. The accident occured in the room and kitchen(23.5%), in the yard and barn(23.5%), on the road(22.4%). and in the rice field and dry field(20.0%). The causes of accident were motor vehicle accident(20.0%), piercing or cutting(20.0%), collision or fighting(12.9%), and poisoning(11.8%) in order of frequency. The most common type of injury was open wound which was 43.5%. The most common tool of accident was farm machine which was 23.5%. The most common injuried part of body was extremity(55.3%).

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 2006

Background: The authors conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the mechanism of injury, the surgical techniques, the clinical features, the combined injuries, the treatment results, and the surgical complications in patients with atlantoaxial fracture/subluxations. Methods: The authors reviewed 71 cervical fracture/dislocations during a four-year period from September 2002 to August 2006. Among them, there were twenty one C1,2 fracture/subluxations. There were thirteen men (mean age : 43.5 years) and eight women (mean age : 50 years). Their follow-up period was at least 6 months, and the mean follow-up period was 9.6 months. Gardner-Wells tongs traction was used in all patients immediately on presentation. Surgical treatment was performed, depending on the pathologic conditions. Results: Of all 21 cases, 14 cases were injured in motor vehicle accidents, 5 were falls, and 2 were miscellaneous. There were four C1 fracture (5.6%), fourteen C2 fracture (66.7%), one C1 and 2 combined fracture (4.8%), and one C1-2 subluxation (4.8%). The C1 fractures in our series were classified as two Jefferson's fractures and two C1 lateral mass fracture. The C2 fractures were classified as one odontoid type I fracture, two odontoid type II fractures, five odontoid type III fractures, one hangman's fracture, and four C2 body tear-drop fractures. Atlantoaxial fractures were associated with six (28.6%) head injuries, four (19.0%) other spinal injuries, two (9.5%) chest injuries, and three (14.3%) spinal cord injuries. Surgical treatment was performed in nine cases, which included anterior odontoid screw fixation in two cases, transarticular screw fixation with iliac bone graft in one case, posterior fixation by using C2 pedicle screw and C3 lateral mass screw in three cases, lateral mass screw fixation C1-2 with iliac bone graft in one case, O(occipito)-C1-3-4 screw fixation in one case, posterior C2-3 wiring with allograft in one case, and halo vest in six cases. Conservative management was used in the rest of the patients in our trials. Bone fusion was complete in all cases. There were no operation-related complication, except one pin site infection in the case of halo vest. Conclusion: In this study, the choice of appropriate treatment according to the fracture types resulted in safe and effective management of unique atlantoaxial fracture/subluxations.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.118-124
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• 2011

Purpose: The incidence of multiple trauma is increasing nowadays and is the leading cause of death among young adults. Initial treatment is well known to be crucial in multiple trauma victims. However, many indiscriminate transfers occur due to the lack of a well-organized trauma system in Korea. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the current serious state in which major trauma patients are transferred to the Emergency Medical Center of a university hospital from another medical center. Methods: From November 2009 to October 2010, we performed a retrospective study to analyze the characteristics of patients who visited the Ajou University Medical Center located in Gyeonggi-do. We evaluated the ISS (injury severity score), and a score over 15 point was identified as major trauma. The major trauma patients were separated into two groups according to the visit route, and the characteristics of each group were analyzed. Results: Among the 88,862 patients who visited to the Emergency Medical Center, trauma patients accounted for 19,950, and 343 of them were evaluated as major trauma patients. Among the 343 patients, 170 patients had been transferred from other medical centers. The proportion of males to females was 3.3:1, and the mean ISS was 22.7. The leading cause of trauma was motor vehicle accidents. Of the total 170 patients, 77.6% were admitted to the Intensive care unit and 36.3% underwent surgery. The 170 patients that had been transferred to our medical center, 78.8% were transferred from Gyeonggi-do, 15.3% were transferred from other regions, and 5.9% were miscellaneous. Conclusion: Almost half of the major trauma victims treat at our medical center had been transferred from other medical centers. Establishing a traumatic system, supported by well-organized trauma centers and emergency medical services, that can reduce inappropriate transfers among medical facilities is essential.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.163-168
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• 2018

Objectives: Due to their developmental characteristics, adolescents have a higher probability than other age groups of experiencing injuries caused by accidents, violence, and intentional self-harm. The severity and characteristics of injuries vary by the intentionality and mechanism of injury; therefore, there is a need for a national-level estimate of the scale and the severity of injuries in adolescents that takes these factors into account. Methods: By using data from the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance Data, National Emergency Department Information System, the Korean National Hospital Discharge In-depth Injury Survey, and cause of death statistics, we calculated the emergency department (ED) visit rate, hospitalization rate, and death rate of injuries per 100 000 adolescents for each injury mechanism. The calculated rates were used to generate the injury pyramid ratio (ratio of death rate to hospitalization rate to ED visit rate) to visualize the scale and the severity of the injury. Results: The mortality rate in adolescents due to injury was 10/100 000; the corresponding rates for hospitalization and ED visits were 1623 and 4923, respectively, resulting in an injury pyramid ratio with the general pyramid form, with a 1:162:492 ratio of deaths to hospitalizations to ED visits. The mortality rate due to suicide/intentional self-harm was 5/100 000, while 35 were hospitalized for this reason and 74 made ED visits. The pyramid ratio of 1:7:15 for intentional self-harm/suicide showed a steep pyramidal form, indicating considerable lethality. The mortality rate due to motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) was 3/100 000; 586 were hospitalized for this reason, while 1023 made ED visits. The pyramid ratio of 1:195:341 for MVCs showed a gradual pyramid form, indicating that the lethality was low and the scale of injury was high. Conclusions: The main categories of injuries in adolescents were visualized in pyramid form, contributing to an understanding of the scale of each injury by mechanism in terms of levels of death, hospitalization, and ED visits. These findings will be helpful for understanding how to prioritize injuries in adolescents.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.247-253
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• 2012

Purpose: Hemorrhage is a main cause of death in trauma patients. The goal of this study is to describe the characteristics of trauma patients with massive bleeding and to evaluate the prognostic factors concerning their survival. Methods: This study was performed retrospectively and included trauma patients with massive bleeding who had been treated from March 2007 to August 2012. The inclusion criterion was patients who received more than 10 U of packed red blood cells within the first 24 hours after visiting the emergency department. Based on their medical records, we collected data in terms of demographic findings, mechanisms of injury, initial clinical and laboratory findings, methods for hemostasis (emergency surgery and/or angioembolization), transfusion, injury severity score (ISS), revised trauma score (RTS) and trauma and injury severity score (TRISS). We used the Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test to compare the variables between the patients that survived and those that did not. We performed a logistic regression analysis with the significant variables from the univariate test. Results: Thirty-two(32) patients were enrolled. The main mechanisms of injury were falls and motor vehicle accidents. The mean transfusion amount of packed red blood cells (PRBC) was 17.4 U. The mean elapsed time for the first hemostasis (surgery or embolization) was 3.5 hours. The initial technical success rates were 83.3%(15/18) in angioembolization and 66.7%(8/12) in surgery. The overall mortality rate was 34.4%(11/32). The causes of death were bleeding, brain swelling and multiple organ failure. The ISS(25.5 vs 46.3, p=0.000), TRISS(73.6 vs 45.1, p=0.034) and base excess(<-12 mmol/L, p=0.020) were significantly different between the patients who survived and those who did not. Conclusion: The ISS was a prognostic factor for trauma patients with massive bleeding.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.40 no.12
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• pp.831-836
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• 2007

Background: Cardiac injuries are the most commonly overlooked injuries in patients who die from trauma. Patients who survive blunt cardiac rupture or penetrating injuries are rare and the incidence is not well defined. Many patients require urgent or emergency operations and operative mortality is very high. Material and Method: A retrospective review of 26 patients with cardiac injuries due to thoracic trauma undergoing emergency thoracotomy from January 1997 to December 2005. Result: There were 17 male and 9 female patients, with a mean age of $45.3{\pm}16.2\;(range:\;17{\sim}80)$. Thirteen patients (50%) were injured in motor vehicle accidents, and five patients (19%) in motorcycle accidents. Six patients (23%) were injured by knives, and two patients (8%) were injured by falling. Anatomic injuries included right atrium (12 [46%]), left atrium (1 [4%]), right ventricle (5 [19%]), left ventricle (5 [19%]), and cardiac chambers (2 [7%]). Diagnosis was made by computer tomography in 12 patients and sonography in 14 patients. The average times from admission to operating room was $89.2{\pm}86.7\;min\;(range:\;10{\sim}335)$. The average time for diagnosis was $51.3{\pm}13.6\;min\;(range:\;5{\sim}280)$. The mean Revised Trauma Score (RTS) was $6.7{\pm}0.8$, and the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), was $12.8{\pm}2.8$. The overall mortality rate was 12% (3 out of 26 patients). Conclusion: The mortality rate from cardiac injury is very high. The survival rate can be increased only by a high index of suspicion, aggressive expeditious diagnostic evaluation, and prompt appropriate surgical management.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.348-354
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• 2011

Background: Traumatic rupture of the diaphragm is an unusual type of trauma. In addition, it is difficult to diagnose because it can be accompanied by injuries to other organs. If it is not detected early, the mortality rate can increase due to serious complications. Diaphragmatic rupture is an important indicator of the severity of the trauma. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors affecting the incidence of complications and mortality in patients who had surgery to treat traumatic rupture of the diaphragm. Materials and Methods: The subjects were patients who had undergone a diaphragmatic rupture by blunt trauma or stab wounds except patients who were transferred to other hospitals within 3 days of hospitalization, from January 2000 to December 2007. This study was a retrospective study. 43 patients were hospitalized, and 40 patients were included during the study period. Among them, 28 were male, 12 were female, and the average age was 42 (from 18 to 80). Outcome predictive factors including hypoxia, ventilator application days, revised trauma score (RTS), injury severity score (ISS), age, herniated organs, complications, and the mortality rate were investigated. Results: Causes of trauma included motor vehicle crashes for 20 patients (50%), falls for 10 (25%), stab wounds for 8 (20%), and agricultural machinery accidents for 2 (5%). Most of the patients (36 patients; 90%) had wound sites on the left. Diagnosis was performed within 12 hours for most patients. The diaphragmatic rupture was diagnosed preoperatively in 27 patients (70%) and in 12 patients (30%) during other surgeries. For surgical treatment, thoracotomy was performed in 14 patients (35%), laparotomy in 11 (27.5%), and a surgery combining thoracotomy and laparotomy in 15 patients (37.5%). Herniated organs in the thoracic cavity included the stomach for 23 patients (57.5%), the omentum for 15 patients (37.5%), the colon for 10 patients (25%), and the spleen for 6 patients (15%). Accompanying surgeries included splenectomy for 13 patients (32.5%), lung suture for 6 patients (15%), and liver suture for 5 patients (12.5%). The average hospital stay was $47.80{\pm}56.72$ days, and the period of ventilation was $3.90{\pm}5.8$ days. The average ISS was $35.90{\pm}16.81$ (11~75), and the average RTS was $6.46{\pm}1.88$ (1.02~7.84). The mortality rate was 17.5% (7 patients). Factors affecting complications were stomach hernia and age. Factors affecting the mortality rate were ISS and RTS. Conclusion: There are no typical symptoms of the traumatic rupture of the diaphragm by blunt trauma. Nor are there any special methods of diagnosis; in fact, it is difficult to diagnose because it accompanies injuries to other organs. Stab wounds are also not easy to diagnose, though they are relatively easy to diagnose compared to blunt trauma because the accompanying injuries are more limited. Suture of the diaphragm can be performed through the chest, the abdomen, or the thoracoabdomen. These surgical methods are chosen based on accompanying organ injuries. When there are many organ injuries, there are a great number of complications. Significant factors affecting the complication rate were stomach hernia and age. ISS and RTS were significant as factors affecting the mortality rate. In the case of severe trauma such as pelvic fractures, frequent physical examinations and chest X-rays are necessary to confirm traumatic rupture of the diaphragm because it does not have specific symptoms, and there are no clear diagnosis methods. Complications and the mortality rate should be reduced with early diagnosis and with treatment by confirming diaphragmatic rupture in the thoracic cavity and the abdomen during surgery.