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

PURPOSE: A trauma protocol for transport bypassing hospital for severe trauma patients was developed and implemented in Korea in 2012 using the field triage decision scheme of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of US. The aim of this study is to evaluate the compliance with the protocol in severe trauma between metropolitan versus non-metropolitan area. METHODS: Severe trauma patients were identified by the new protocol and collected from a trauma registry and EMS run sheet in one metropolitan and one non-metropolitan province from October 2012 (one month). Data variables included demographic, clinical information on vital signs and mental status, injury related variables like mechanisms, geographic information on place of the event, and distance to nearest, bypassed, and destination hospitals. Exposures are metropolitan versus non-metropolitan ambulances defined. Study end point was compliance-direct transport (C-DT), compliance-bypassing transport (C-BT), violation-non-bypassing transport (V-NT), and violation-bypassing transport (V-BT). The protocol violation with number of V-NT and V-BT divided by number of eligible patients were compared between metropolitan and non-metropolitan ambulances. RESULTS: Of the 863 patients with severe trauma were identified by the protocol. No statistical difference in demographics and clinical parameters except injury mechanism and distance to destination hospital. Between metropolitan versus non-metropolitan area. The C-DT, C-BT, V-NT, and V-BT were 27.4%, 18.5%, 20.2%, and 33.4% respectively. V-NT rate was significantly lower in metropolitan than in nonmetropolitan (8.2% versus 30.6%, p=0.001), while V-BT rate was significantly higher in metropolitan than in non-metropolitan (46.2% versus 23.3%, p=0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: Protocol violation rates were significantly different in non-bypassing and inappropriate bypassing to hospital between metropolitan versus non-metropolitan ambulances when using the bypassing hospital trauma protocol.
Ambulances ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Compliance* ; Demography ; Emergency Medical Services* ; Humans ; Korea ; Multiple Trauma ; Transportation ; Triage* ; Vital Signs

PURPOSE: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is an important postoperative complication that may impact mortality and morbidity. The incidence of AKI after elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is not known well. The aim of this study is to assess the incidence of AKI after elective EVAR and examine the impact of AKI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected and analyzed retrospectively from 78 elective EVARs for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) among 102 total cases of conventional EVAR performed in Inha University Hospital from 2009 to 2015. The primary endpoint was incidence and risk factors of AKI. Secondary endpoints included drop in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the mortality of AKI. RESULTS: We included 78 patients (17 females, 21%; mean age, 73.9±12.5 years; mean AAA diameter, 59.3±8.9 cm), 11 (14.1%) of whom developed AKI. Within 48 hours, those with AKI experienced a decrease in eGFR from 65.5±21.2 to 51.2±19.6 mL/kg/1.73 m2, and those without AKI showed a change from 73.1±9.2 to 74.2±10.7 mL/kg/1.73 m2. There were no patients who required dialysis during follow-up (mean, 24.2±18.0 months). Development of AKI was related to operation time (odds ratio [OR], 2.024; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.732–4.723; P < 0.010) and contrast dose (OR, 3.192; 95% CI, 2.182–4.329; P < 0.010). There were no differences in mortality between the 2 groups (P=0.784). CONCLUSION: The incidence of AKI after EVAR was related to operation time and contrast dose, but was not associated with medium-term mortality.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm ; Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal ; Dialysis ; Endovascular Procedures ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mortality ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors