Objective: Triage in the emergency department is important as mistriage leads to inefficient use of resources. The Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) was developed in 2012 and has been implemented in emergency departments nationwide since January 2016. The purpose of this study was to determine whether KTAS can predict resource use in a pediatric emergency center. Methods: From October to December 2019, a retrospective analysis was conducted by a review of medical records. Demographic data, KTAS grades, Emergency Severity Index (ESI) as an indicator of resource utilization and details of the use of each resource were collected. Patients were divided into non-trauma and trauma groups. KTAS grades 1 and 2 were defined as the severe group, grade 3 was the moderate group, and grades 4 and 5 were defined as the mild group. We investigated whether triage using KTAS is related to resource utilization. Results: In the non-trauma group, ESI, length of stay in the emergency department, and hospitalization were significantly correlated with the KTAS groups. In the trauma group, there was no significant difference between the moderate and mild groups in the above variables except for hospitalization. This was because there was no significant difference in sedation, procedure, and intravenous injection, in the trauma group. Conclusion The KTAS triage helped predict resource utilization in the non-trauma group, but not in the trauma group especially between the moderate and mild groups. Additional research will be needed to predict resource utilization in children with trauma.

Objective: Triage in the emergency department is important as mistriage leads to inefficient use of resources. The Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) was developed in 2012 and has been implemented in emergency departments nationwide since January 2016. The purpose of this study was to determine whether KTAS can predict resource use in a pediatric emergency center. Methods: From October to December 2019, a retrospective analysis was conducted by a review of medical records. Demographic data, KTAS grades, Emergency Severity Index (ESI) as an indicator of resource utilization and details of the use of each resource were collected. Patients were divided into non-trauma and trauma groups. KTAS grades 1 and 2 were defined as the severe group, grade 3 was the moderate group, and grades 4 and 5 were defined as the mild group. We investigated whether triage using KTAS is related to resource utilization. Results: In the non-trauma group, ESI, length of stay in the emergency department, and hospitalization were significantly correlated with the KTAS groups. In the trauma group, there was no significant difference between the moderate and mild groups in the above variables except for hospitalization. This was because there was no significant difference in sedation, procedure, and intravenous injection, in the trauma group. Conclusion The KTAS triage helped predict resource utilization in the non-trauma group, but not in the trauma group especially between the moderate and mild groups. Additional research will be needed to predict resource utilization in children with trauma.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRB-65 score as a prognostic predictor in acute heart failure (HF) patients who visited the emergency department (ED). Methods: This study was performed retrospectively on HF patients over the age of 19 years admitted to the ED between August 2018 and July 2020. The patients who met the Framingham criteria, including acute pulmonary edema, were classified by the CRB-65 score and compared with previous HF prognostic predictors (Acute Decompensated Heart Failure National Registry, Get with The Guidelines-Heart Failure and Enhanced Feedback for Effective Cardiac Treatment). We defined the primary outcome as 30-day mortality and secondary outcomes as hospitalization days (HD), admission to intensive care unit (ICU), length of stay (LOS) in the ICU and mechanical ventilation (MV). We conducted linear regression and logistic regression with these outcomes and obtained the area under the receiver-operating characteristics (AUROC) curve to compare the predictive power of the primary outcome. Results: A total of 462 patients were included in the study, and their mean age was 80 years. According to the linear and logistic regression analysis results, the CRB-65 score was significantly correlated with HD (P<0.001), admission to ICU (P=0.014), LOS in ICU (P<0.001) and MV (P=0.004). The AUROC curve of CRB-65 was not higher than the other previous prognostic predictors (AUROC, 0.69), but the result was not different from the predictors. Conclusion The CRB-65 score is one of the prognostic indicators of acute HF in the ED. However, its prognostic predictive power remains limited.

Objective: Although accurate diagnosis in neurologic emergencies is critical, the emergency department (ED) suffers from a shortage of neurologists. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a dedicated neurologist on the competence in the management of ED physicians on patients with neurologic abnormalities. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with neurologic abnormalities between 1 March 2016 and 30 September 2019. Two periods, including control and intervention periods, were assigned. Neurology consultations were routinely performed by an ED physician in the control period and by a physician of the ED working with a dedicated neurologist in the intervention period. Results: In the control period, the most frequent chief complaints were dizziness (22.45%), focal motor weakness (except the face, 19.62%), altered mental status (9.98%), dysarthria (9.62%), seizures (8.57%), and headaches (6.87%). In the intervention period, the rate of final disposition by the ED physician was significantly increased in patients with dizziness (P<0.001), altered mental status (P=0.003), dysarthria (P<0.001), seizure (P<0.001), headaches (P<0.001), facial palsy (P<0.001), and memory impairment (P=0.043). Conclusion ED physicians who were educated by a dedicated neurologist could effectively enhance the competence in the management of the patient with neurologic abnormalities. We suggest that the method implemented in this study can be a good alternative for solving the gap in neurology department consultation.

Objective: Serious bacterial infection (SBI) is a common disease among infants, and it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Making the diagnosis of SBI is challenging and measurement of various biomarkers is useful. This study examined the utility of lactate at an emergency department for diagnosing SBI patients. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of febrile infants less than 90 days old presenting to the emergency department of a tertiary hospital between September 2014 and August 2017. The demographic and laboratory data was collected through a chart review. Results: Laboratory tests such as the white blood cell count, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin, and lactate showed significant differences on the Student-T test and the Mann Whitney-U test. Multivariabe logistic regression test was done using the variables with significant differences. CRP (P=0.037; odds ratio, 1.01), procalcitonin (P=0.011; odds ratio, 1.02) and lactate (P=0.001; odds ratio, 2.38) shows significant correlation. Conclusion For febrile infants at the emergency department, the measurement of lactate is expected to be a useful tool to diagnose serious bacterial infection.

Objective: Tsutsugamushi disease is a febrile illness caused by tick bites. Delay in making the diagnosis and treatment cause an increase of the frequency of complications and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) to predict the clinical outcome of scrub typhus patients in emergency departments. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of patients with tsutsugamushi disease and who presented to the emergency department of an urban hospital and a rural tertiary hospital between January 2013 and December 2018. The demographic and laboratory data was collected through a chart review. Statistical analysis was performed by dividing the patients into the general ward admission group (general ward) and the intensive care unit admission group (ICU). Results: Age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE) II score and laboratory tests such as pH, leukocyte count, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin also showed significant differences between the general ward and ICU groups on the univariable logistic regression analysis, but only the qSOFA score among the variables showed a significant difference on the multivariate logistic regression analysis (P=0.014). Conclusion The qSOFA score will be a prompt and useful tool for predicting the prognosis of patients with tsutsugamushi disease in the emergency department.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and survival benefits of combined treatment with radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) in a Korean sample. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 750 Korean patients with histologically confirmed glioblastoma multiforme, who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy with TMZ (CCRT) and adjuvant TMZ from January 2006 until June 2011, were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: After the first operation, a gross total resection (GTR), subtotal resection (STR), partial resection (PR), biopsy alone were achieved in 388 (51.7%), 159 (21.2%), 96 (12.8%), and 107 (14.3%) patients, respectively. The methylation status of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) was reviewed retrospectively in 217 patients. The median follow-up period was 16.3 months and the median overall survival (OS) was 17.5 months. The actuarial survival rates at the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS were 72.1%, 21.0%, and 9.0%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 10.1 months, and the actuarial PFS at 1-, 3-, and 5-year PFS were 42.2%, 13.0%, and 7.8%, respectively. The patients who received GTR showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those who received STR, PR, or biopsy alone, regardless of the methylation status of the MGMT promoter. Patients with a methylated MGMT promoter also showed a significantly longer OS and PFS than those with an unmethylated MGMT promoter. Patients who received more than six cycles of adjuvant TMZ had a longer OS and PFS than those who received six or fewer cycles. Hematologic toxicity of grade 3 or 4 was observed in 8.4% of patients during the CCRT period and in 10.2% during the adjuvant TMZ period. CONCLUSION: Patients treated with CCRT followed by adjuvant TMZ had more favorable survival rates and tolerable toxicity than those who did not undergo this treatment.
Biopsy ; Chemoradiotherapy* ; Disease-Free Survival ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glioblastoma* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Methylation ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies* ; Survival Rate

Objective: To screen the fatty acid (FA) composition of 20 marine microalgae species, including seven Diophyceae, six Bacillariophyceae, four Chlorophyceae, two Haptophyceae and one Raphidophyceae species. Methods: Microalgal cells cultured at the Korea Institute of Ocean Science & Technology were harvested during the late exponential growth phase and the FA composition analyzed. Results: The FA composition of microalgae was species-specific. For example, seven different species of Dinophyceae were composed primarily of C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C20:4n-6, C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3, while C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C20:5n-3 and C22:6n-3 were abundant FAs in six species of Bacillariophyceae. In addition, four Chlorophyceae, two Haptophyceae and one Raphidophyceae species all contained a high degree of C16:1n-7 [(9.28-34.91)% and (34.48-35.04)%], C14:0 [(13.34-25.96)%] and [(26.69-28.24)%], and C16:0 [(5.89-29.15)%] and [(5.70-16.81)%]. Several factors contribute to the nutritional value of microalgae, including the polyunsaturated FA content and n-3 to n-6 FA ratio, which could be used to assess the nutritional quality of microalgae. Conclusions: This study is the first comprehensive assessment of the FA composition and nutritional value of microalgae species in South Korea, and identifies the potential utility of FAs as species-specific biomarkers.

Although mycobacterial culture and the subsequent drug-susceptibility test (DST) for anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs take several months to complete using solid media, there are no reports on the turnaround times of these tests under clinical conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the interval between initiation of anti-TB treatment and receipt of DST requested at an outpatient clinic. We prospectively enrolled patients with culture-positive pulmonary TB at Seoul National University Hospital from September 2002 to December 2004. Patients were followed up monthly. Mycobacterial cultures were done using Ogawa media at Seoul National University Hospital. DST were performed at the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis. Of the 104 patients enrolled, 54 were male. The median age was 41 yr. The median interval from initiation of anti-TB treatment to receipt of mycobacterial culture results by clinicians was 37 days (range, 0-89 days). The median interval from initiation of treatment to confirmation of DST by requesting clinicians was 80.5 days (range, 28-145 days). Clinicians only received the results of DST more than two months after initiation of treatment when they followed up patients monthly and mycobacterial culture was performed using solid media.
Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/*drug therapy ; Time Factors ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; *Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Antitubercular Agents/pharmacology/*therapeutic use ; Aged ; Adult ; Adolescent

BACKGROUND: Morphine for the intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) provides effective postoperative pain control, but it has side effects such as itching, nausea and vomiting. Meanwhile, butorphanol, a synthetic potent agonist-antagonist narcotic with low incidence of adverse side effects and minimal addiction, produce adequate analgesia for postoperative pain. The purpose of this study was to compare the suitability of butorphanol combining with or without morphine with that of morphine in terms of relieving postoperative pain and incidence of side effects. METHODS: Sixty ASA physical status I or II female patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy were randomly allocated into one of three groups according to type of drug used (n=20 for each group). The groups were divided to group M (morphine 100 mg), group M B (morphine 50 mg+butorphanol 10 mg) and group B (butorphanol 20 mg). Drugs for each group mixed with 90 ml of normal saline (total amount: 100 ml) for infusion. Loading dose, PCA dose, lockout interval, mode of infusion was 0.05 ml/kg, 0.02 ml/kg, 8 minute, and PCA only, respectively. In each group, visual analog scale (VAS), pain score, sedation score, degree of satisfaction, total amount of drug used, history of attempt/injetion and incidence of side effects were checked. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in analgesic effects and degree of satisfaction among three groups, but incidence of side effects (especially pruritis) were less in group M+B and B compared with group M (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Butorphanol showed comparable postoperative pain relief and marked less side effects compared with morphine. Butorphanol was considered as a useful drug for postoperative pain relief using IV-PCA.
Analgesia ; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled* ; Analgesics ; Butorphanol* ; Female ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Incidence ; Morphine* ; Nausea ; Pain, Postoperative* ; Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis ; Pruritus ; Visual Analog Scale ; Vomiting