• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.66 no.1
• /
• pp.63-71
• /
• 2023

Objective : Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common injuries in patients with multiple trauma, and it associates with high post-traumatic mortality and morbidity. A trauma center was established to provide optimal treatment for patients with severe trauma. This study aimed to compare the treatment outcomes of patients with severe TBI between non-trauma and trauma centers based on data from the Korean Neuro-Trauma Data Bank System (KNTDBS). Methods : From January 2018 to June 2021, 1122 patients were enrolled in the KNTDBS study. Among them, 253 patients from non-traumatic centers and 253 from trauma centers were matched using propensity score analysis. We evaluated baseline characteristics, the time required from injury to hospital arrival, surgery-related factors, neuromonitoring, and outcomes. Results : The time from injury to hospital arrival was shorter in the non-trauma centers (110.2 vs. 176.1 minutes, p=0.012). The operation time was shorter in the trauma centers (156.7 vs. 128.1 minutes, p=0.003). Neuromonitoring was performed in nine patients (3.6%) in the non-trauma centers and 67 patients (26.5%) in the trauma centers (p<0.001). Mortality rates were lower in trauma centers than in non-trauma centers (58.5% vs. 47.0%, p=0.014). The average Glasgow coma scale (GCS) at discharge was higher in the trauma centers (4.3 vs. 5.7, p=0.011). For the Glasgow outcome scale-extended (GOSE) at discharge, the favorable outcome (GOSE 5-8) was 17.4% in the non-trauma centers and 27.3% in the trauma centers (p=0.014). Conclusion : This study showed lower mortality rates, higher GCS scores at discharge, and higher rates of favorable outcomes in trauma centers than in non-trauma centers. The regional trauma medical system seems to have a positive impact in treating patients with severe TBI.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.122-131
• /
• 2020

Purpose: This study aims to investigate major traumatic events experienced by nurses in regional trauma centers and explore the relationship among their traumatic events experience, perceived stress, and stress coping. Methods: Data were collected from 208 nurses in the trauma emergency room (trauma-bay) and trauma intensive care unit at four regional trauma centers. Results: The mean score of the traumatic events experience was 44.3 out of 76 points. The scores for physical injuries caused by traffic accidents or falls as well as patient care with abnormal behaviors were high. Significantly positive correlations among traumatic events experience, perceived stress, and stress coping were identified. Conclusion: Nurses working in the regional trauma centers experienced many various traumatic events, leading to high levels of stress. This study suggests that it is necessary to establish a regular surveillance system for nurses' traumatic events experience and perceived stress.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.165-169
• /
• 2014

Purpose: Trauma is one of the most common and lethal causes of death in Korea, especially in people under the age of 40. However, a considerable percentage of trauma patients are lost each year due to the scarce resources of the trauma system. The purpose of this study was to determine the recognition of trauma and trauma system. Methods: From April 8th to 22nd, 2014, visitors and in-patients in our medical center were interviewed and surveyed with a questionnaire, which included 28 questions regarding the trauma system, such as the most common cause of death, the locations of trauma centers, the importance of trauma centers, and consent for supporting trauma centers financially. Results: The majority of the respondents recognized trauma as a common cause of death; this was particularly true for people younger than 40. Most respondents' expectancy for the optimal time for trauma patient transport was high, recognizing that major trauma patients should receive urgent care. The respondents felt that trauma centers are important and needed, just as much as police stations and libraries are. Among 178 respondents, 140 (80.5%) were willing to financially support the trauma system. Conclusion: The respondents were aware of the seriousness of trauma and generally agreed on the need for trauma centers. In order to meet the needs and the demands of the people, and to reduce preventable death rate, the trauma system should be improved not only in quality but also in quantity with better and more facilities and manpower, with the aid of publicity from trauma organizations and funding from the government.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.29-39
• /
• 2013

Purpose: As emergency medical service fund is further expanded due to amendment of the law on emergency medical services in 2008, Korean government has prepared to intervene in a comprehensive manner to strengthen a trauma treatment system. As a result, it announced a master plan to establish a serious trauma treatment center in 16 areas across the nation. Therefore, this study has attempted to investigate the current status of the serious trauma treatment centers and suggest the goal and improvement plan of future serious trauma treatment centers. Methods: As of 2011, Korea operates 23 emergency cerebrovascular service centers, 23 emergency heart disease centers and 35 severe trauma treatment centers across the country. 12 emergency medical service centers have been chosen among the serious trauma treatment centers. Then, top six (6) centers chosen at Emergency Medical Institute Assessment 2011 by Ministry of Health and Welfare have been selected, and floor layout and spatial allocation by usage have been reviewed and analyzed. Results: Consequently, this study has investigated the spatial components, circulation layout and spatial allocation of a serious trauma treatment. For construction planning in consideration of the fundamental objectives and goal of emergency medical services, it is essential to allot spaces and select exact spatial components. It appears that it is necessary to design spaces for emergency medical services and come up with construction planning through appropriate spatial allocation.

• Journal of the Korean Medical Association
• /
• v.61 no.12
• /
• pp.710-714
• /
• 2018

A law revised in May 2012 provided support to regional and emergency centers for reducing the risk of preventable deaths. In particular, regional trauma centers have been established throughout the nation, with the goal of ensuring that any trauma patient can reach a trauma center within an hour. As a multidisciplinary approach is particularly important in treating severe trauma patients, activation teams are currently organized at each center to perform multiple simultaneous treatments. Under the present system, only 7 departments can participate in these trauma teams; emergency medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, radiology, and anesthesiology. Plastic surgeons also play an essential role in treating trauma patients, and in fact currently treat many such cases. Especially in reconstruction procedures in patients with head and neck trauma and wide tissue defects, plastic surgeons possess unique expertise. However, since plastic surgeons are excluded from the trauma response teams due to institutional limitations, we describe the role and necessity of plastic surgery for trauma and emergency patients, and urge that the system be improved.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.84 no.4
• /
• pp.784-791
• /
• 2023

Based on statistics available in Korea, trauma centers play a critical role in treatment of patients with trauma. Interventional radiologists in trauma centers perform various procedures, including embolization, which constitutes the basic treatment for control of hemorrhage, although interventions such as stent graft insertion may also be used. Although emergency interventional procedures have been used conventionally, rapid and effective hemorrhage control is important in patients with trauma. Therefore, it is important to accurately understand and implement the concept of damage control interventional radiology, which has gained attention in recent times, to reduce preventable trauma-induced mortality rates.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.261-267
• /
• 2022

Purpose: With the increasing number of polytrauma patients treated at high-level trauma centers, plastic surgery has entered the specialty of traumatology. Plastic surgeons specialize in the simultaneous surgical care of patients with facial or hand trauma and soft tissue injuries requiring microsurgery. The purpose of this study was to introduce the role of plastic surgery in a high-level trauma center. Methods: Between January 2020 and December 2020, 5,712 patients with traumatic injuries were admitted to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital. Of these 5,712 patients, 1,578 patients were hospitalized for surgical treatment and/or critical care. Among the 1,578 hospitalized trauma patients, 551 patients (35%) required at least one plastic surgery procedure. The patient variables included age, sex, etiology, the injured area, and injury characteristics. We also retrospectively investigated surgical data such as the duration of the operation, hospital stay, length of time from injury to surgery, and collaboration with other departments. Results: The most common injury referred to plastic surgery was facial trauma (41%), followed by hand trauma (36%), and soft tissue injuries requiring microsurgery in various parts of the body other than the hand (7%). The majority of facial and hand traumas were concomitant injuries. Sixteen percent of patients underwent collaborative surgical management for polytrauma involving both plastic surgery and another department. Conclusions: The role of plastic surgery in multidisciplinary teams at high-level trauma centers has become increasingly important. The results of this study may help in the development of multidisciplinary trauma team strategies and future workforce planning.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.112-118
• /
• 2020

In trauma patients, coagulopathy and abnormal increases or decreases in cell counts are frequently observed, and are associated with high mortality and morbidity in the acute phase of trauma. Because major trauma is often life-threatening, and hematologic abnormalities are multi-factorial and transient, major blood loss is usually suspected to be the primary cause of these abnormalities, and much time and cost may be spent attempting to identify a focus of hemorrhage that might or might not actually exist. Persistent abnormalities in the complete blood count, however, require clinical suspicion of other hematologic diseases to minimize improper transfusions and to improve outcomes, including mortality. Physicians at trauma centers should be familiar with the clinical characteristics of hematologic diseases and should consider these diseases in trauma patients. In this report, we present cases of two hematologic disorders found in trauma patients: autoimmune hemolytic anemia induced by systemic lupus erythematosus and myelodysplastic syndrome.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.30 no.4 s.59
• /
• pp.884-892
• /
• 1997

Currently, there are 100 community emergency centers which expect to provide professional emergency care like Level 1 trauma centers in U.S.A. To evaluate perforance of emergency centers, most studies have been widely adopted death rate based methods such as Trauma and Injury Severity Score(TRISS) and A Severity Characterization of Trauma(ASCOT). However, these methods are only applicable in situation where registration process of trauma patients is well established. Therefore, an alternative method should be applied to evaluate performance of emergency centers in Korea which does not have well-developed registration scheme. This study aims to develop new performance measures which are applicable to Korea and evaluate performance of 35 community emergency centers through new measures. The new measures are included that 'W-statistic' ; death rate calculated on the basis of International Classification based Injury Severity Score(ICISS), and 'the degree of severity' ; rate of severe trauma patients of each emergency medical centers. The study results can be summarized as follows. First, about 34% of sample emergency centers show they provide proper care in terms of their function. Second, tertiary hospitals, university hospitals, and hospitals located in Seoul show higher severity degree of patients and lower severity-adjusted death rate.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.172-179
• /
• 2017

The regional trauma center should be a trauma treatment center equipped with facilities, equipments, and manpower capable of providing optimal treatment from emergency surgery to a severely traumatized patient upon arrival at the hospital. In order to establish a medical system for effective severe diseases, it is necessary to prepare architectural planning guidelines for the regional trauma centers. This study analyzes the connectivity, control, integration, and mean depth of current trauma centers using the convex map of space syntax, And to provide basic data for building for more efficient regional trauma center. The major areas that must be included in the regional trauma center are trauma resuscitation room, trauma operating room, trauma intensive care unit, and trauma general ward. It is necessary to carry out the architectural planning to increase the interconnection of the four areas. Also, the elevator plan for trauma patients should be emphasized. In addition, a regional trauma center should be separated from the existing facility for independent operation. According to the case analysis of the space configuration of the regional trauma center, the location of the operating room is most important considering the connection with each department of the hospital and the treatment flow of the severe trauma patients.