• 보건행정학회지
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.164-172
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• 2022

Background: The purpose of this study was to the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on emergency departments (EDs) in patients under the age of 18 years with respiratory disease. Also, we analyzed similarities and differences in patients including revisit before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study population was respiratory patients under the age of 18 years who visited all 403 EDs in Korea between January 1st, 2019 and December 31st, 2020, using the National Emergency Department Information System Database. The primary outcome was the number of respiratory patients according to age, sex, the type of EDs, season, Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) levels, the result of ED, and length of stay. The secondary outcome was the number of revisit respiratory patients within 72 hours. We calculated the risk-adjusted revisit rates according to the KTAS level using a multiple logistic regression model. Results: The number of ED visits decreased from 274,526 in 2019 to 79,007 in 2020; this number was 71.2% lower than that before COVID-19. In spring 2020, this number was 90.1% lower than during the same period in 2019. For the revisit rate in the study population, the adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.22 (1.05-1.41) in 2019 and 1.39 (1.07-1.81) in 2020. Conclusion: Implementing appropriate emergency care policies in severe respiratory patients would have contributed to improving the safety of reducing in revisit rate.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.190-197
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• 2013

Purpose: Trauma is one of the major cause of death in Korea. This study focused on the survival rate and the neurologic outcome for patients with traumatic cardiac arrest (CA) at one emergency center. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with traumatic CA who were seen at a regional emergency medical center from January 2010 to December 2011. From among major trauma patients at that medical center, adults older than 18 years of age who had CA were included in this study. CA included out-of-hospital CA with arrival at the Emergency Department (ED) within three hours and in-hospital CA. We checked the survival rate and the neurologic outcome. Results: A total of 61 patients were analyzed: 32 patients had return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 6 patients survived to discharge (survival rate: 9.84%), and 4 were still alive 90 days after discharge. The Cerebral performance category (CPC) scores at 6 months after discharge showed 1 good and 5 poor in neurologic outcomes. Factors such as initial rhythm of CA, part with major injury, Revised Trauma Score (RTS) and pH, were significant for ROSC, survival, and neurologic outcome in patients with traumatic CA. Conclusion: In this study, patients who had traumatic CA showed a 9.84% survival rate and a 1.64% good neurologic outcome. The results are poorer than those for CA caused by disease. Multi-center, prospective studies are needed.

• Journal of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.183-189
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• 2020

In emergency rescue situations, the localization accuracy of the rescue requestor is a very important factor in determining the success or failure of the rescue. Indoors where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is not operated, there is no choice but to use Wi-Fi or LTE signals. However, the performance of the current emergency rescue system utilizing those RF signals is exceedingly low. In this study, the effectiveness of the surface correlation technology using the accumulated signal pattern of RF signals was verified in relation to the emergency localization technology. To validate the proposed system, we configured and tested an emergency rescue scenario in multi-floors building. When the emergency rescue was requested, it was confirmed that the initial localization error was large owing to the short length of the accumulated signal pattern. However, the localization error decreased over time, which eventually led to the accurate location information being delivered to the rescuer.

• 한국통신학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국통신학회 2004년도 하계종합학술발표회논문초록집
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• pp.90-90
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• 2004

• 한국통신학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국통신학회 2004년도 하계종합학술발표회논문초록집
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• pp.260-260
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• 2004

• 한국응급구조학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.71-80
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics and appropriateness of the Korean-type severity classification by ambulance based on the medical records of 43,561 emergency patients who were brought to the emergency medical center via ambulance between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2017. Methods: This study analyzed the classification characteristics of the Korean severity classification tool by applying them to emergency patients who visited the emergency medical center. Results: As a result of the study first, among the categories of home hospitals according to the results of visits, "other," "low consciousness," and "dyspnea" in the order of 129 ambulances were statistically significantly higher. In the order of "low consciousness" and "trauma," the "trauma" category was 5.3% higher than that of 129 ambulances. Conclusion: Among the classification items, "others," "low consciousness," and "dyspnea" were significantly higher in the group of patients who boarded 129 ambulances, and "others," "low consciousness," and "traumatic" were significantly higher in the 119 ambulances.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.33-35
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• 2015

A 24 year-old man attempted suicide by injection of 1 cc of thinner into his left antecubital vein; 3 hours later, he visited our emergency room because of left chest pain. We suspected a chemical pneumonitis based on the abnormal findings of his chest X-ray and computed tomography. On the 3rd day after admission, a cellulitis also occurred at the injection area. His symptoms were relieved after supportive care for 2 weeks. There is significant experience with intoxication of thinner inhalation, whereas intoxication of intravenous thinner is rare.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.25-32
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• 2018

Purpose: Methamphetamine is an ongoing illegal drug problem worldwide, and its use in South Korea has spread over the last few years. In this study, a clinical review of patients who visited emergency medical centers with positive methamphetamine tests was conducted. Methods: Patients underwent methamphetamine screening based on physician suspicion over a period of 13 years. Their patient characteristics, clinical features, and drug administration properties were described. Results: A total of 297 patients were included, with 19 positive methamphetamine results. Patient age ranged from 21 to 84, with a mean of 37.52. Additionally, 13 were male and 6 were female. The mean BP, PR, RR were 131/82 mmHg, 94/min, 20/min. Saturation levels were all over 95%. Five patients had a psychiatric history. Patient showed varied symptoms ranging from mental changes to chest discomfort. In addition, seven showed abnormal electrocardiography findings and one showed elevated cardiac enzyme levels. Other laboratory results revealed no significantly abnormal results. Six patients also suffered from related trauma. The majority of patients consumed the methamphetamine orally, with unknown motivation at unknown locations. Most were transported by 119 and six patients co-ingested other drugs. Conclusion: Patients who showed positive results to a methamphetamine screening test in Korea visited the emergency medical center mostly by 119 and were unaware of or reluctant to reveal the fact that they had ingested methamphetamine. Emergency physicians should be more aware of the possibility that a patient may have consumed methamphetamine.

• 대한임상독성학회지
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• 제16권2호
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• pp.131-140
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• 2018

Purpose: The National Emergency Medical Center has been running a project for the storage and delivery of antidotes for acute poisoning patients of the Department of Health and Welfare, Korea. This study analyzed the results of this project over the past two years. Methods: The requests received by the National Emergency Medical Center and the data on the delivery process were analyzed. Results: This study analyzed a total of 121 patients with acute poisoning, who were requested to receive an antidote reserved at 20 key hospitals in 2015-2017, and whose age was $52.3{\pm}23.5\;years$; old; 54 were women. Intentional poisoning were 58.7%, and the home was the most common place of exposure (66.9%). The toxic substances were chemicals (32.2%), pesticides (27.3%), medicines (24.8%), and snake venom (4.1%). The patient's poison severity score was $2.4{\pm}0.7$ (median 3) indicating moderate-to-severe toxicity. Antidote administration was the cases treated in key hospitals 67.8% (82/121), in which transferred patients accounted for 57.3% (47/82). After receiving an antidote request from a hospital other than the key hospitals, the median was 75.5 minutes (range 10 to 242 minutes) until the antidote reached the patient, and an average of 81.5 minutes was required. The results of emergency care were intensive care unit (70.3%), general wards (13.2%), death (10.7%), and discharge from emergency department (5.0%). Conclusion: This study showed that the characteristics of acute poisoning patients treated with an antidote were different from previous reports of poisoned patients in the emergency department, and basic data on the time required for delivery from key hospitals was different.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제28권3호
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• pp.149-157
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• 2015

Purpose: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common cause of pediatric trauma patients came to the emergency department. Without guidelines, many of these children underwent repeat brain computed tomography (CT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of repeat brain CT in children with TBI. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of TBI in children younger than 19 years of age who visited the emergency department (ED) from January 2011 to December 2012. According to the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Pediatric Glasgow Coma Scale score of the patients, study population divided in three groups. Clinical data collected included age, mechanism of injury, type of TBI, and outcome. Results: A Total 83 children with TBI received repeat brain CT. There were no need for neurosurgical intervention in mild TBI (GCS score 13-15) group who underwent routine repeat CT. 4 patients of mild TBI group, received repeat brain CT due to neurological deterioration, and one patient underwent neurosurgical intervention. Routine repeat CT identified 12 patients with radiographic progression. One patient underwent neurosurgical intervention based on the second brain CT finding, who belonged to the moderate TBI (GCS score 9-12) group. Conclusion: Our study showed that children with mild TBI can be observed without repeat brain CT when there is no evidence of neurologic deterioration. Further study is needed for establish indication for repetition of CT scan in order to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure of children.