No abstract available.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine*

No abstract available.

Information and communication are very important to emergency medicine and large part of recent developments emergency medicine is related to them. So future development of emergency medicine is supposed to be based on information and communication system. Since 1994, hypertex-based multimedia information called World Wide Web has been served in the internet and east access has been allowed. Many researches about medical application of internet has been done, but articles of this application are mainly about medical information collection or use of electronic mail, and no application to specific part of medicine was suggested. So in this article, possibilities and range of application of internet and information super-highway to emergency medicine, suggestion of using internet to emergency phisician, prediction of the future of emergency medicine in relation to information super-highway will be presented. (continue)
Electronic Mail ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine* ; Internet* ; Multimedia

BACKGROUND: Infiltration of the skin and subcutaneous tissue with local anesthetic solutions may cause transient pain and discomfort. Heating local anesthetic solutions to body temperature has been suggested as a way of reducing the pain associated with injection. We designed a double blind crossover volunteer study to investigate the effect of warming lidocaine on the pain associated with subcutaneous injection. METHODS: Participants were 40 healthy adult volunteers,22 years of age and older, and they were the medical, nursing stay and medical students. They underwent 1ml subcutaneous injections of the study agent through 25-gauge needles. Following a standard crossover protocol, 'room temperature' lidocaine(20degrees C ) was injected into one midvolar forearm and body temperature' lidocaine(37degrees C ) into the opposite arm. Pain assessed by visual analogue pain scores and 'volunteer's comparison of pain on injection. RESULTS: Twenty-six volunteers thought that lidocaine at 20degrees C was more painful and four thought that lidocaine at 37degrees C was more painful, ten volunteers did not express a difference. Median pain score for injection at 20 degrees C was 37 and at 37 degrees C was 35.5. Difference of two median scores was 6.5. CONCLUSION: The simple procedure of warming to body temperature reduced the pain associated with subcutaneous injection of lidocaine. It is an inexpensive and practical method That should be considered for routine use in the ED.
Adult ; Arm ; Body Temperature* ; Forearm ; Heating ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Lidocaine ; Needles ; Nursing ; Skin ; Students, Medical ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Volunteers

Disaster medicine and emergency medicine are common in many parts, particularly in the acute stage of disaster, so the role of emergency medicine in disaster is very important. For adequate disaster preparation and response, interest and investment to emergency medical care for emergency and safety issues that deal with most important thing, life conservation, must be made in the future. Specifically, support to the emergency medical centers as disaster base hospitals is necessary for emergency medicine to perform adequate roles in disaster, and it is also necessary to assign the role to the hospital in the area that holds the local risk factors. Because of the poor preparedness for nuclear, chemical or biological disaster in Korea, the important things are the preparation and establishment of infrastructure based on equipment and facilities, related to special type disasters. So the government should support the emergency medical system for the adequate response to disasters as well as individual emergency care.
Disaster Medicine ; Disasters* ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Medicine* ; Investments ; Korea ; Risk Factors

Intussusception is a condition of invagination of the proximal segment of bowel into the more distal receiving bowel. Intussusception is one of the common pediatric and surgical emergencies of infancy and childhood in Korea. Intussusception is the most common cause of acquired intestinal obstruction in infancy and childhood, and it needs emergency treatment. 1) On the age and sex distribution, the age under 15 month was the most common(70.6%), and the peak incidence was 3-12 months of age(60.1%). In sex distribution, male to female ratio was 1.25:1. 2) The seasonal distribution was summer(27.4%), spring, autumn and winter in order of frequency. 3) As to the etiology of Intussusception treated by surgery, idiopathic was the most common(75%). 4) The cardinal symptoms and signs were vomiting(72.5%), bloody or bloody mucoid stool(57.5%), abdominal pain(49.7%), abdominal distention(20.9%), abdominal mass(19.6%) and others in order of frequency. 5) On the hematologic finding, 60.8% revealed leukocytosis above 10,000/mm3. 6) As to the duration from the onset of the symptom to admission, 84.2% was within 24 hours, 9.8% was from 24 hours to 48 hours, and 5% was over 48 hours. 7) The common anatomical types were ileocolic(73.2%), and ileocecal(17.0%). 8) The success rate of air reduction was 84.3%. 9) In the method of operation, manual reduction was performed in 91.7% and intestinal resection in 8.3%. 10) The recurrence rate after air reduction was 12.4% and after operative manual reduction was 8.3%.
Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Emergency Treatment ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intestinal Obstruction ; Intussusception* ; Korea ; Leukocytosis ; Male ; Recurrence ; Seasons ; Sex Distribution

In the cases of two important disasters that occurred in Korea in 2014, it was important to spread information early and to respond systematically for rapid utilization of disaster medical resources. Initial response units such as fire and police departments should deliver disaster medical information to disaster medical units and systems to facilitate the rapid response of disaster medical resources. When considering disaster medical situations in Korea, the size of a disaster medical assistance team should be smaller compared to the United States for an effective domestic disaster medical response. In addition, regional disaster manuals or guidelines should be accepted in place of instructions from the central government for detailed disaster medical response in each disaster region, and repeated disaster drills that include related organizations should be performed. The provision of institutional strategy is needed to support the basis of on-site disaster medical assistance activities and the existence of disaster medical assistance team.
Disaster Medicine ; Disasters* ; Fires ; Humans ; Korea ; Medical Assistance* ; Police ; United States

For adequate disaster preparation and response, the capacity of various sectors should be integrated harmoniously into a single system. Investment must be made in disaster medical care for emergencies and safety issues that address the most important priority - conservation of life. Specifically, support for disaster base hospital is necessary for a hospital to perform an adequate role in disaster, and it is also necessary to assign the role of disaster base hospital to hospitals in areas that contain local risk factor. Because of the problems for nuclear, chemical or biological disaster preparedness in Korea, important things to consider are the preparation and establishment of an infrastructure based on equipment and facilities, including personal protective equipment, decontamination equipment and facilities. Governments should support the operation of disaster medical assistance teams in order to improve the disaster medical system.
Decontamination ; Disaster Medicine* ; Disasters ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Investments ; Korea ; Medical Assistance ; Risk Factors

No abstract available.
Disaster Medicine* ; Korea

Following the Korean War, presence of foreign troops in Korea, economic difficulty and changing moral Standards have brought about the development of concentrations of prostitutes around army camps known as "villes". The problems with venereal disease among the prostitutes living in the villes and consequently among soldiers has been a problem which has perplexed both American and Korean health authorities. Research into the problems and efforts to solve the V.D. problem have yielded only fragmentary results. Fortunately, with the cooperation of the U.S. Army Research and Development Group, an extensive research project has been undertaken to determine the root causes and best methods to prevent venereal disease in the villes around American military installations. The villes around large military installations were selected as the target of this research. In particular, the Pyeongtaek ville, the Gunsan "Silver Town" area and the "Texas Town" area of Busan were studied. The study took two years, from April, 1973 to March, 1975. Microbiological and serological studies were undertaken to determine the venereal disease infection rate and the efficacy of different antibiotics both in treatment and in sensitivity tests. In addition to the microbiological and serological studies other factors related to venereal diseases control such as social environment, health facilities, knowledge of venereal disease and its control were studied. The following results were obtained. 1. An overall gonorrheal morbidity rate of 14.1% was found among the 1,282 girls studied. This shows e rather dramatic rise compared to other studies. The majority of the increase is attributed to an actual increase of the V.D. rate, but more precise methods of isolation and culture using Thayer-Martin media also contributed to the increase recorded. 2. In Pyeongtaek, a gonorrhea morbidity rate of 5.39/0 (endocervical), the lowest in any of the villes was recorded. The Pyeongtaek police of enforced hospitalization until cure was effected tended to eliminate contact with infected girls and also make the girls more aware of and concerned about prevention of venereal disease. The Texas town prostitutes in Busan had a 15.5% (endocervical) morbidity rate, the highest of any of the areas. This might be attributed to sexual contact with many foreign sailors. 3. In culturing for gonorrhea, it was found that rectal as well as cervical cultures are necessary. Rectal cultures revealed 71 cases(39.2% to total positive cases) some of which were negative by endocervical culture, and endocervical cultures yielded 181 positives among the 1,282 cases surveyed. 4. A total of 988 serological tests for syphilis were carried out. By the V.D.R.L. method, 11.5% reactive cases were recorded, Kolmer C-F showed 5.9% reactive and RPCF test showed a 4.3% reactive rate. The RPR card test was used to retest 151 persons who were demonstrated to be V.D.R.L. (in prostitutes and general entertainers) reactive and confirmatory reactive results were shown in 74.0% of the cases. The FTA-ABS test was done on 57 RPCF tes/; reactive cases and showed confirmatory reactive results in 96.5% of the cases. It was concluded that the RPR card test, although it is less sensitive than the V.D.R.L test was both simple and effective for use in mass screening. However it is suggested that RPR card test rectors be reconfirmed using either the RPCF test or the FTA-ABS test. 5. Penicillin treatment failed to cure 40% of the gonorrhea patients in clinical tests and 16% of the strains used in the sensitivity tests showed resistance to penicillin. Therefore, penicillin was judged to be rather ineffective against gonorrhea. Ampicillin, however, is still quite effective, and spectinomycin was the most effective antibiotic against gonorrhea. 6. The socio-medical study of prostitutes revealed that their average age 25.5 years and the average number of years of education was 6. 8, implying the completion of primary school. Living conditions were generally poor, for example, in Pyeongtaek, 37% of the girls did not have running water and depended on well water. Data on the toilet facilities revealed that 78% of the prostitutes living in the control area in Wanweoldong, Busan were still using traditional Korean privy style toilets, and in Pyeongtaek 91% also were using privy toilets. Over two-thirds of the prostitutes only bathed once or twice a week. Therefore, improvement of living conditions was considered a critical problem. 7. Generally speaking, the girls had some know/edge of syphilis and gonorrhea and the measures necessary to prevent these diseases. However, over half of the girls abused antibiotics in venereal disease treatment and prevention attempts and only 65% of them required their partner to use a condom. Therefore, much improvement is needed in this area. 8. A survey of knowledge about contraceptive measures showed that 96% of the girls had good knowledge about oral contraceptives, 90 knew about condoms and 88% had knowledge of the douche method. In actual practice however, 95% of the girls used the douche method and 62% used condoms for contraception.
Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Baths ; Busan ; Condoms ; Contraception ; Contraceptives, Oral ; Education ; Female ; Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody-Absorption Test ; Gonorrhea ; Gyeonggi-do ; Health Facilities ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Jeollabuk-do ; Korea* ; Korean War ; Mass Screening ; Military Personnel ; Penicillins ; Police ; Running ; Serologic Tests ; Sex Workers* ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases* ; Social Conditions ; Social Environment ; Spectinomycin ; Syphilis ; Texas ; Toilet Facilities