In Korea, the field of aeromedical transport is less developed compared to other fields of medicine. Even though the Firefighting Aviation Corps has put their efforts into rescuing victims of trauma and patient evacuation, the portion of their transport is minimal and poorly organized. The Emergency Flight Team in Samsung Medical Center is the only HEMS (helicopter emergency medical system) run by a private sector in Korea. It had operated the Bell 412EP helicopter from Dec. 1996 to Dec. 2006, which was replaced with EC 155B1 made by Eurocopter in Jan. 2007. The team rescued 415 patients and supported 45 cases of organ transplantation during the period. This review will include not only the general concept of HEMS but also the discussion on the practical problems that we are facing, based on our 11-year experiences of aeromedical transport.
Aircraft* ; Aviation ; Emergencies* ; Humans ; Korea ; Organ Transplantation ; Private Sector ; Transplants

Hypertension is a risk factor for developing fatal aortic dissection. Aortic dissection occurs 2~3 times as often in men than in women between ages of 50~70 years old. Among other risk factors, aortic dissection occurs especially in women below the age of 40 years old in pregnancy-related cases. In pregnancy-related cases, aortic dissection occurs in the third trimester and in puerperium, as well as in multiparous women. The writers experienced an aortic dissection related pregnancy. The patient was 32 years old, diagnosis of dissection occurred in the postpartum period. Although, aortic dissection is a rare complication of pregnancy, the knowledge of this may assist the emergency physician save the lives of patients.
Adult ; Diagnosis ; Emergencies ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUND: The fast EMS helicopter was introduced to Korea in 1996 and from Dec. 1. 1997, it was used far transporting emergent patients. Authors, here upon, report the transporting experiences. METHODS: From Dec. 1, 1996 to Dec. 31,1997, Samsung Medical Centers EMS helicopter was used for air evacuation of critically ill patients. The patients data prospectively analyzed. RESULT: A total of 65 patients were transported. Male to female ratio was 1.95 : 1. The mean transport time was 64.1min(10-160 min). Majority of the evacuated patients was surgical patients (General Surgery'16, Orthopedic surgery : 10, Neurosurgery : 6, Infernal medicine 13, Pediatrics : 3, and others : 3). Twenty-one of the 65 patients transported were admitted to ICU and 31 did not require ICU care. During the air evacuation, one physician and one nurse trained for air evacuation amended The patients. No medical problems or deaths developed during the air evacuation period. CONCLUSION: The first EMS helicopter was introduced to Korea in 1996. From Dec. 1, 1996 to Dec. 31, 1997, Samsung Medical Center's EMS helicopter was used for air evacuation of critically ill patients. The patients data reported.
Aircraft* ; Critical Illness ; Emergencies* ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Neurosurgery ; Orthopedics ; Pediatrics ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUND: There was a powerful earthquaken(Richter Scale 7.6) in Tiawan, on Sep. 21, 1999. we supported the organized medical services in that area during 5 days. METHODS: We made the protocol and analyzed the results prospecitively. RESULTS: We took care of a total of 708 patients from sep. 23 to sep. 27. Traumatized patients related to the earthquake were 245(34.6%), and most of them had minor injuries. Two hundred thirty-nine(239, 33.8%) patients visited us for medical disease related to living in a group. There were 29(4.1%) patients who complained of neuropsychiatric problems due to the post-earthquake stress. Because the condition of the patients was so bad, 18(2.5%) were transferred to receive more medical services. CONCLUSION: In disaster area, organized medical services have two different roles, especially in the subacute stage. One is responsibility for real emergency medical care, and the other is medical care of non-emergency patients.
Disasters* ; Earthquakes* ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Taiwan*

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze the endotracheal intubation cases performed in the emergency department. METHODS: We investigated retrospectively 326 cases of endotracheal intubation performed in the emergency department of a tertiary care center from April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999. We focused on operators, medications used, its success rate and immediate complications, and the relationship between its success rate and medications. RESULTS: Of 326 consecutive intubations, 193 patients(59.2%) were done by emergency medicine residents or attending physician. While 320 patients(98.2%) were successfully intubated, 6 patients could not be intubated and 2 patients underwent tracheostomy. Of 50 cases of intubations(15.3%) attempted with paralyzing agents, 48 cases were done with succinylcholine and 46 cases underwent by emergency physicians. Intubations with neuromuscular paralysis resulted in high success rates at the first attempt. Of 55 immediate adverse events were encountered in 47 patients(desaturation=17, bronchial intubation=15, hypotension=8, bradycardia=4, cardiac arrest=2, others=5). CONCLUSION: At this institution, paralyzing agents were used infrequently, but almost all of them were used by emergency physicians.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Intubation ; Intubation, Intratracheal* ; Paralysis ; Retrospective Studies ; Succinylcholine ; Tertiary Care Centers* ; Tertiary Healthcare* ; Tracheostomy

PURPOSE: Pyomyositis is a rare disease in temperature climate region. The diagnosis of pyomyositis is often delayed, and pyomyositis is often misdiagnosed in the emergency department. METHODS: The medical records of 11 patients who were diagnosed as having traumatic pyomyositis in the emergency department at Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, Korea, between 2000 and 2006 were reviewed. Their clinical features, such as history, symptoms, clinical findings, duration from onset of symptoms to diagnosis, medical history, laboratory data, results of imaging studies and clinical course were collected. RESULTS: The psoas muscles were most commonly involved. Computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging aided in accurate diagnosis of the infection and of the extent of involvement. Incision, drainage, and antibiotics therapy eradicated the infectioin in all patients CONCLUSION: Pyomyositis should be a part of the differential diagnosis for patients with traumatic muscle pain. Radiologic evaluation, such as computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, must be considered in the diagnosis of traumatic pyomyositis.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Climate ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drainage ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Korea ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medical Records ; Myalgia ; Psoas Muscles ; Pyomyositis* ; Rare Diseases ; Seoul

PURPOSE: For prevention and suitable administration, the effect of age on the severity of injuries in traffic accidents should be considered when evaluating a patient, but there have not been enough epidemiological studies that evaluate the age factor in traffic accidents. For that reason, we investigated old-aged patients who were involved in traffic accidents (65 years old or more) and who were admitted to the emergency department of a college hospital in an urban city of Korea. METHODS: We collected data from traffic-accident patients who came to the emergency room of a university hospital in Seoul from Jan.1, 2004 to Dec.31, 2005. We compared their abilities to ambulate and the RTSs (Revised trauma scores) by using a LSD (least significant difference), linear regression. RESULTS: A total of 1460 patients were included. The mean RTS of all traffic-accident patients was 7.77+/-0.280. The scores for drivers and passengers, motor-cycle drivers and passengers, bicycle drivers and passengers, and pedestrians were 7.79+/-0.21, 7.78+/-0.22, 7.54+/-0.25, 7.77+/-0.20, and 7.80+/-0.21 respectively (p=0.000). There was no statistically significant difference between the RTS of patients over 65 years and that of other patients. In a regression analysis, the number of patients over 45 ages who were able to ambulate was lower than that of younger people, independently of other influencing factors (B=-0.330, R-square = 0.243, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: We expected that RTS of old age group more than 65 years old will significantly lower than that of others, but there was no statistically significant difference.
Accidents, Traffic* ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Emergency Treatment* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Lysergic Acid Diethylamide ; Motor Vehicles ; Seoul

PURPOSE: Hypovolemia is not uncommon among trauma patients in the emergency department (ED). Successful resuscitation of a hypovolemic patient often requires rapid intravenous administration of massive amounts of fluid. A rapid fluid infuser is used in the ED for this purpose, there have been no studies of their clinical uses and effectiveness. We studied clinical experience with a rapid fluid infuser at an urban university hospital in Seoul, Korea. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 38 patients admitted to the ED with a history of application of a rapid fluid infuser from January 2004 to July 2005. Adult trauma patients older than 15 years of age were included in this study. Clinical data on the patients and the volume of fluid used to achieve a stable blood pressure were extracted from their medical records. RESULTS: The total number of adult trauma patients with a history of application of a rapid fluid infuser from January 2004 to July 2005 in the ED was 16. The mean systolic blood pressure for deciding to apply the rapid fluid infuser was 74.9+/-12.7 mmHg. The mean time and volume used to achieve a stable blood pressure were 40.4 min and 2947.3+/-1339.2 ml, respectively. In all patients, the amount of fluid infused before using the rapid fluid infuser was between 500 ml and 10,000 ml, compared to 1,000 ml and 6,200 ml with the rapid fluid infuser. The mean amount of fluid per min. via the rapid fluid infuser was 85.5 ml. Vital signs were stabilized in 11 patients, 6 of the 11 were discharged alive. CONCLUSION: The mean amount of fluid delivered per min. via the rapid fluid infuser was much less than expected; thus, there should be clinical guidelines on volume resuscitation with a rapid fluid infuser in the ED. In the future, prospective, multicenter, clinical-data collection is needed for a more sophisticated study.
Administration, Intravenous ; Adult ; Blood Pressure ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Humans ; Hypovolemia ; Infusion Pumps ; Korea ; Medical Records ; Resuscitation ; Seoul ; Shock ; Vital Signs

PURPOSE: For proper operation of the Seoul Emergency Medical Service Information Center, We analyzed the contents of the phone-calls made to the center. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed phone calls made to the center from Jul. 1 to Sep. 30, 2001. RESULTS: The total number of phone calls made to the center during the above-mentioned period was 42,143, and the average number of calls was 458.1+/-32.3 per day. Most calls came between 09:00 and 12:00 (85 calls, 18.6%), and hours with the fewest calls were from 03:00 to 06:00 (18 calls, 3.9%). The average length of the calls was 2 minutes 38 seconds. Most callers(25,454 calls, 60.4%) asked questions about a disease or first aid which were considered as non-urgent, and 9,586 (22.7%) asked for simple advice about a hospital or a clinic and also considered as non-urgent. There were 885 (2.1%) calls that were considered as emergent situations and there were 1,686 cases (6.7%) connected to the Rescue system 1-1-9 for the rapid evacuation. CONCLUSION: The results show that the Seoul Emergency Medical Information Center does not perform the proper functions that it should in emergent situations.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services* ; First Aid ; Information Centers* ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul*

PURPOSE: There are no reports on amusement-park-related injuries in Korea. Thus, the objective of this study was to describe traumatic injury patterns that occurring in an amusement park. METHODS: The medical records of an infirmary were retrospectively reviewed. From January 1, 2008, to December 31 2008, patients who were transferred to the nearest emergency departments of hospitals for the purpose of further test and treatment were enrolled. Demographics, injury types and involved parts of the body were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 3,608 patients visited an infirmary for traumatic injury and about two-thirds had soft tissue injuries. Of those, 191 patients (5.3%) were transferred to the emergency department of a hospital. Of the patients who were transferred to a hospital, laceration and contusion were the responsible injuries for about half. Laceration was the most common injury in pediatric patients, and a sprain or a strain was the most common in adult patients. The most commonly injured parts of the body were the extremities in adult patients. However, in pediatric patients, injuries of the head, face and neck were similar to injuries of the extremities. CONCLUSION: Soft tissue injury was the most common amusement-park-related injury. Laceration was the most common reason to transfer a patient to a hospital. There were differences in injury type and injured part of the body between adult and pediatric patients.
Adult ; Contusions ; Demography ; Emergencies ; Extremities ; Head ; Humans ; Korea ; Lacerations ; Medical Records ; Neck ; Retrospective Studies ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; Sprains and Strains