Purpose: This study utilizes the NEDIS (National Emergency Department Information System) database to suggest a predictive model for snakebite and envenomation in Korea by analyzing the geographical distribution and seasonal variation of snakebite patients visiting the ER. Methods: This was a retrospective study on snakebite patients visiting the ER using the NEDIS database from January 2014 to December 2019. The subjects include patients with the KCD (Korea Standard Classification of Disease) disease code T63.0 (Toxic effect of contact with snake venom). Geographical location, patient gender, patient age, date of ER visit, treatment during the ER stay, and disposition were recorded to analyze the geographical distribution and seasonal variation of snakebite patients in Korea. Results: A total of 12,521 patients were evaluated in this study (7,170 males, 54.9%; 5,351 females, 40.9%). The average age was 58.5±17.5 years. In all, 7,644 patients were admitted with an average admission time of 5.04±4.7 days, and 2 patients expired while admitted. The geographical distribution was Gyeongsang 3,370 (26.9%), Cheonra 2,692 (21.5%), Chungcheong 2,667 (21.3%), Seoul Capital area 1,999 (16.0%), Kangwon 1,457 (11.6%), and Jeju 336 (2.7%). The seasonal variation showed insignificant incidences in winter and higher severity in spring and summer than in fall: winter 27 (0.2%), spring 2,268 (18.1%), summer 6,847 (54.7%), and fall 3,380 (27.0%). Conclusion Patients presenting with snakebites and envenomation in the emergency room were most common in the Gyeongsang area and during summer. The simple seasonal model predicted that 436 snakebites and 438 envenomation cases occurred in July and August. The results of this study can be applied to suitably distribute and stock antivenom. Appropriate policies can be formed to care for snakebite patients in Korea.

As neonates are brought to the emergency department (ED) for various complaints, it is challenging for emergency physicians to clinically determine the urgency of the visit. We sought to explore clinical characteristics associated with urgent visits to the ED. We conducted a retrospective study by reviewing medical records of neonatal visits to a tertiary pediatric regional emergency center for 5 years. Cases of patients who were discharged after checking only chest or abdominal X-ray or discharged without workup, were classified as non-urgent visits. Cases where more examinations were performed, or when the patient was hospitalized, were classified as urgent visits. Various clinical features and process in the ED were compared between the groups. Of the 1,008 cases enrolled in this study, 856 (84.9%) were urgent and 152 (15.1%) were non-urgent visits. After adjustment by multiple logistic regression analysis, non-urgent visits were associated with self-referrals rather than physician-referrals (odds ratio [OR], 5.96), visits in the evening rather than at night or daytime (OR, 2.51), patient visits from home rather than from medical facilities (OR, 2.19; 95). Fever and jaundice were the most common complaints (25.7% and 24.5%, respectively), and their OR of non-urgent visit was relatively low (adjusted OR 0.03 and 0.03, respectively). However, other common complaints, such as vomiting and cough (7.4% and 7.1%, respectively), were more likely to be non-urgent visits (adjusted OR 2.96 and 9.83, respectively). For suspected non-urgent visits, emergency physicians need to try to reduce unnecessary workup and shorten length of stay in ED.
Cough ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Fever ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Thorax ; Vomiting

PURPOSE: Widely used fiberglass splints are made from straight-form material. These prove difficult to mold at joints and form wrinkles, causing complications such as pain, pressure sores, and peripheral nerve palsy. We compared the usefulness of wave-form splints with straight-form splints and the level of satisfaction of these designs from care providers and wearers. METHODS: Eighty-nine (n=89) emergency physicians and orthopedic surgeons participated in this study. The subjects (acting as care providers and mock patients) used wave-form and straight-form material to construct and wear short leg splints, long arm splints, and sugar tong splints. The clinicians were surveyed on their satisfaction as providers and wearers. All questions were measured on scores from 0 and 10(10=maximum score). After splints were removed, subjects were surveyed on the extent of splint wrinkling with scores from 1 to 3(3=maximum wrinkling). RESULTS: Provider satisfaction scores for wave-form splints versus straight-form splints in short leg splint applications were 7.76+/-1.30 vs 6.74+/-1.25 (p=0.000). Provider satisfaction scores for wave-form splints versus straight-form splints in long arm splint applications were 7.73+/-1.33 and 6.73+/-1.59 (p=0.004), respectively. The subjects felt more comfortable wearing wave-form splints, compared to straight-form splints (7.79+/-1.49 vs. 6.79+/-1.58, respectively; p=0.004) and more satisfied (8.03+/-1.35 vs. 7.18+/-1.33, respectively; p=0.003). The frequencies of wrinkle occurrence in wave-form and straight-form splints were 29.7% and 42.2%, respectively (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: Wave-form splints may be more practical for molding and wearing than traditional straight-form splints.
Arm ; Casts, Surgical ; Emergencies ; Fungi ; Glass ; Immobilization ; Joints ; Leg ; Orthopedics ; Paralysis ; Peripheral Nerves ; Pressure Ulcer ; Splints

Injury of the nail bed is commonly encountered in the emergency department. Despite the importance of initial management, difficulties such as long duration of operation and need of skill hinder the practice. Tissue repair with tissue adhesives, like 2-N-butylcyanoacrylate (Histoacryl(TM)), is a common replacement for suture repair. Here we describe a case of nail bed injury, which was repaired with Histoacryl(TM), and the method of repair.
Emergencies ; Nails ; Sutures ; Tissue Adhesives

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare the safety and effectiveness of intravenous ketamine-midazolam (KM) and ketamine-propofol (KP) combination for the lumbar puncture (LP) procedure in children. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of patients aged ≤18 years old who received intravenous injection of KM or KP for undergoing LP in the pediatric emergency department. To investigate the effectiveness of KM and KP, we compared the sedation success rate, induction time, procedure time and total sedation time. In addition, adverse events and complications were recorded to assess the safety of the agents. RESULTS: A total 61 patients were enrolled in study. Twenty-eight patients were given KM and 33 patients received KP. All sedations were successful in both groups. While the mean induction time in KM was shorter than in the KP group (3±4 vs. 6±5 minutes, p=0.02), the total sedation time in the KP group was significantly shorter than that in the KM group (33±26 vs. 61±43 minutes, p < 0.01). There were no adverse effects such as hypotension, bradycardia or hypoxic event. CONCLUSION: This study showed that intravenous KM and KP are hemodynamically stable and have few side effects when applied for pediatric sedation during lumbar puncture. Although KM has a shorter induction time than KP, KP has a shorter duration of sedation. Both of these materials can be considered useful agents for sedation when conducting painful procedures in children.
Bradycardia ; Child ; Conscious Sedation ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Humans ; Hypotension ; Injections, Intravenous ; Ketamine ; Midazolam ; Propofol ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Puncture

Background: We aimed to investigate changes in the clinical characteristics of pediatric poisoning patients who visited the emergency department (ED) before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: Poisoning cases below age 18 who visited the ED from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively analysed. The study period was then divided into pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 pandemic to compare poisoning patterns. Results: During the study period, 86,153 visits to the pediatric ED had been recorded, with 625 patients being included the final analysis. During the COVID-19 period, the proportion of poisoned patients increased from 0.62% to 0.98%. The average age of the patients was higher in the COVID-19 period, with 53.4% of the cases being intentional (pre-COVID-19, 32.5%; P < 0.001). Moreover, 70.4% of poisoning cases during the COVID-19 period were caused by drugs (pre-COVID-19, 60.6%; P = 0.038). More patients underwent decontamination and laboratory investigation during the COVID-19 period than during the previous period (P= 0.007 and P < 0.001, respectively). The length of ED stay and the proportion of hospitalisation were significantly greater during the COVID-19 period. After analysing accidental poisoning cases, we found that antipyreticsonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and respiratory drugs were more common in the pre-COVID-19 group, whereas iron/vitamins, cardiovascular drugs and hormones were more common in the COVID-19 group. After analysing intentional poisoning cases, we found that 73.6% and 76.4% of the patients in the pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 group had a history of psychiatric disease, respectively. Although no difference was observed in the frequency of previous first suicide attempts, 19.0% of the patients in the COVID-19 group attempted suicide more than three times. Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, intentional poisoning cases, especially in adolescence, increased and were treated more. Many of the patients with intentional poisoning had a history of mental illness or suicide in the past. Therefore, it seems that policy consideration for mentally vulnerable adolescents during this new pandemic period is necessary.

Objective: This study analyzed the characteristics and accident patterns of electric scooter accidents using in-depth survey data from 23 hospital emergency rooms (ER) in Korea. The characteristics of accident types were examined depending on alcohol consumption. Methods: An in-depth investigation was conducted on ER patients involved in electric scooter accidents between 2014 and 2021. The research focused on variables such as age, time of ER visit, alcohol use, emergency room discharge outcome, injury severity, and areas of injury. Results: One thousand nine hundred and sixty-two electric scooter injuries were examined. The riders belonged predominantly to the 20-39 years age group (60.40%), and most were males (69.67%). Visits to the ER peaked between 6 pm and 12 am (36.29%). Alcohol was implicated in 24.52% of the accidents. Head and neck injuries occurred commonly (60.70%). The number of accidents increased from 4 to 843. Moreover, alcohol-related incidents surged annually, except during 2014-2015. The alcohol use group comprised more males than the non-alcohol use group (79.42% vs. 66.51%). Accidents occurred more commonly in the 20-39 years age group (76.92% vs. 55.03%), and a higher proportion of emergency room visits occurred between 0 am and 6 am (58.84% vs. 39.43%). Cases with severe Excess Mortality Ratio-adjusted Injury Severity Scores were more frequent (29.29% vs. 12.97%), and head and neck injuries were more common (83.78% vs. 53.21%). Conclusion The regulations for licensing, alcohol use, and helmet compliance should be enforced to reduce the incidence of alcohol-related electric scooter accidents in the younger population.

PURPOSE: Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a common medical emergency condition in the emergency department (ED). Patients with UGIB show a wide range of clinical severity, from mild bleeding to death. The objective of this study was to evaluate methods for risk stratification of active UGIB in the ED. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients with UGIB who were admitted to the ED of a tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital center from January 2011 to December 2011. Our study subjects were patients over 20 years old who complained of symptoms and signs of gastrointestinal tract bleeding and underwent endoscopic gastroduodenoscopy (EGD) evaluation. However, patients diagnosed with variceal gastrointestinal bleeding, disseminated malignancy, coagulopathy, and lower gastrointestinal bleeding and patients who did not undergo EGD within 6 hours were excluded. The Blatchford score and the clinical Rockall score were calculated for the enrolled patients. In cases where the value of each score was greater than 0, the scores were considered high risk. Active UGIB was defined as a symptom of patients who underwent emergency endoscopic intervention such as ligation or sclerotherapy. We compared the proportions of patients identified as high risk using chi tests. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve for detection of patients requiring emergency endoscopic intervention were calculated for both the Blatchford score and the clinical Rockall score. RESULTS: The numbers of patients with high risk according to the Blatchford score and the clinical Rockall were 220 (93.6%) and 192 (81.7%) of 235 patients, respectively. The number of patients with active UGIB was 96 (40.9%) of 235 patients. The sensitivity and specificity of risk stratification based on the Blatchford score was 100% (96/96) and 10.8% (15/139) (p=0.001), respectively, while those based on the clinical Rockall score were 80.2% (77/96) and 17.3% (24/139) (p>0.05). The AUROC curves of the Blatchford score and the clinical Rockall score were 0.617 (95% CI; 0.546-0.688) and 0.495 (95% CI; 0.420-0.571), respectively. CONCLUSION: The Blatchford score could be more useful as a risk stratification tool than the clinical Rockall score for active UGIB patients in the ED. The Blatchford score would be preferable as a clinical tool that can discriminate patients who need emergency endoscopic intervention for control of UGIB.
Emergencies ; Emergency Service, Hospital* ; Endoscopy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hemorrhage* ; Humans ; Ligation ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Sclerotherapy ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tertiary Healthcare

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness and necessity of an emergency medical service director program for board certified emergency physicians. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of records of direct medical advice provided by board certified emergency physicians in the Busan area from April 1, 2011 to July 11, 2011 was conducted. The medical and legal validity of the medical direction was evaluated by two independent emergency physicians with experience and certification in the field of medical control. RESULTS: Fifteen emergency physicians provided direct medical control during the study period. Five of them were certified as an emergency medical service (EMS) director by the Korean council of EMS physicians (KCEMSP), and the other 10 were not. An analysis of 992 cases of direct medical direction was performed. No differences in the diagnostic appropriateness and medical validity of medical advice were observed between the two groups. A significant difference was observed in legal validity (p=0.048). However, in multivariate analysis, experience as a certified emergency physician was a significant factor determining legal validity (p=0.02), while certification by the KCEMSP was not significant. CONCLUSION: The current EMS director certification program did not have a significant influence on the appropriateness of direct medical direction. EMS director courses and emergency medicine residency programs are in need of improvement in the legal aspect of prehospital emergency service.
Certification ; Emergencies ; Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems ; Emergency Medical Services ; Emergency Medicine ; Humans ; Internship and Residency ; Jurisprudence ; Multivariate Analysis ; Physician Executives ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to describe the characteristics of patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. METHODS: We retrospectively surveyed data from the Emergency Department based Injury In-depth Surveillance of 20 hospitals (2011-2014). We included patients whose mechanism of injury was acute CO poisoning caused by inhalation of gases from charcoal or briquettes. We surveyed the annual frequency, gender, age, result of emergency treatment, rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, result of admission, association with alcohol, and place of accident. We also surveyed the cause and experience of past suicide attempts by intentional poisoning. RESULTS: A total of 3,405 patients were included (2,015 (59.2%) and 1,390 (40.8%) males and females, respectively) with a mean age of 39.83±18.51 year old. The results revealed that the annual frequency of CO poisoning had increased and the frequency of unintentional CO poisoning was higher than that of intentional CO poisoning in January, February and December. The mean age of intentional CO poisoning was younger than that of unintentional CO poisoning (38.41±13.03 vs 40.95±21.83) (p<0.001). The rates of discharge against medical advice (DAMA), ICU care and alcohol association for intentional CO poisoning were higher than for unintentional CO poisoning (36.4% vs 14.0%, 17.8% vs 4.7%, 45.2% vs 5.6%) (p<0.001). The most common place of CO poisoning was in one's residence. CONCLUSION: The annual frequency of total CO poisoning has increased, and unintentional CO poisoning showed seasonal variation. DAMA, ICU care, and alcohol association of intentional CO poisoning were higher than those of unintentional CO poisoning.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning* ; Carbon Monoxide* ; Carbon* ; Charcoal ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Emergency Treatment ; Female ; Gases ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Intensive Care Units ; Intention ; Male ; Poisoning ; Retrospective Studies ; Seasons ; Suicide