Earticle

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the survival outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest based on the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survey by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2012 to 2016. Methods: Out of 84,776 cases, 57,104 cases of cardiac arrest were analyzed. To identify the factors that affect survival outcomes after a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), we performed a logistic regression using SPSS. We also performed a multilevel analysis using SAS to determine whether the survival outcomes were affected by the socioeconomic level and health index of the communities. Results: When SCA was witnessed by someone, the possibility of discharge with survival outcomes increased by a factor of 4.54. If CPR was administered immediately in emergency situations, this possibility further increased. When defibrillation was performed before hospitalization, the possibility was increased by a factor of 10.31. The multilevel analysis reflected the personal and regional factors that had an impact on the survival outcomes. Conclusion: Because the initial response in SCA is crucial, a community response system is essential before hospitalization. It is necessary to actively publicize and educate the people because the their understanding, sympathy, and cooperation in emergency situations play a role in determining the survival outcomes of the patients.

Purpose: Stroke is a time-sensitive disease that could have reduced complications and mortality with timely diagnosis and treatment. This study aimed to analyze the causes of delay in detecting the clinical signs and symptoms of stroke. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed the emergency medical services reports of suspected stroke patients with positive predictive values on the Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Scale. The study was conducted in Daejeon, Republic of Korea from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2017. Results: Prolonged prehospital time was associated with high blood pressure, history of cerebrovascular disease, and incidences during daily activities, and sleep. High blood pressure and complications from a previous stroke strongly associated with the prolonged stroke-detection phase (p<.05). Total prehospital time was shortened when patients had evident stroke symptoms, such as decreased level of consciousness, dysarthria, and hemiplegia (p<.05). There was no significant difference in gender or age as a factor that delayed the total prehospital time of the suspected stroke patients. Conclusion: Many patients did not recognize the early clinical symptoms and signs of a stroke. Furthermore, risk factors, such as high blood pressure and history of stroke, prolonged the total prehospital time. Therefore, we need targeted interventions that educate about warning symptoms of stroke, along with emphasis on the importance of emergency calls to substantially reduce the prehospital delays.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the effect of chest compression and the resulting ventilation volume in walking cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), straddling CPR, and mechanical CPR while moving manikins to main stretchers. Methods: We compared the chest compressions in terms of compression depth, number of incomplete releases, complete release depth, compression rate, duration between peak time of previous compression and peak time of current compression, and respiration. We analyzed the compression comparatively with the ventilation volume in three different types of CPR. Results: The chest compression depth was significantly improved during straddling CPR as compared to walking CPR, during which women were unable to achieve sufficient chest compression depth. A constant chest compression depth was maintained during mechanical CPR. Conclusion: High-quality chest compressions were difficult to achieve in moving spaces. Further, walking CPR may be helpful in men, but straddling or applying automatic chest compressions in women would result in more effective CPR. Our findings demonstrate the limitations and trends in administering CPR in men and women, which may be useful in devising better education and training methods in the future.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether, in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to the mode of arrival affect the emergency medical process. Methods: The participants of this study were 118 adult patients (46 patients admitted by emergency medical services (EMS), 48 walk-in patients, and 24 transferred from other hospitals) admitted to the emergency departments at one regional-level medical center who underwent coronary angiography between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017. To compare treatment courses, the median values of the following variables were compared among groups: symptom to door time; door to triage time; and door to ECG time. All data were analyzed using SPSS program. Results: Based on the initial assessment at triage, there was a significantly greater proportion of Korean Triage and Acuity Stage (KTAS) Level 1 or 2 among patients admitted by EMS than among walk-in patients. All three analyzed variables were lower in patients admitted by EMS than in the other two groups. Conclusion: Our results show that ACS patients who accessed EMS reached the emergency center faster after symptom onset, received initial triage assessment at earlier stages, and underwent sooner important examinations (i.e., the 12-lead ECG).

Purpose: The study aims to improve the quality of emergency medical services by surveying the user’s satisfaction of 119 emergency medical services nationwide. Methods: From December 21 to December 27 each year from 2015 to 2017 a total of 5,889 people were surveyed by phone call in fire station. Results: The average degree of satisfaction with the emergency medical services was 4.17±0.70, with 85.1% respondents reporting being ‘satisfied’. Factors like being a patient, injuries, residential area, and scene arrival time affected satisfaction. From 2015 to 2017, the satisfaction degree decreased every year, with factors affecting this results including “first aid guidance of phone call" and "rapidity of emergency medical services." The highest satisfaction factors were ‘friendly acting of emergency medical services’ and ‘appropriate offer of emergency medical services’, while the lowest satisfaction factors were ‘first aid guidance of phone call’ and ‘adequacy of emergency medical team’. Conclusion: The quality of emergency medical services needs to be improved by managing the quality of phone call first aid guidance and the assignment of adequate emergency medical teams to increase user satisfaction.

Purpose: The study aimed to collect the first aid activity log data of patients who were retransferred through paramedics and to analyze the data in the hospital to improve the plan. Methods: We analyzed 434 retransferred patients, out of the 18,197 patients who visited the emergency medical center in the C area in G metropolitan city, from January 2017 through December 2018. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS software. Results: The patients were retransferred for various reasons: 17.7% (77 cases) due to the absence of specialists, 15.0% (65 cases) required first aid, and 5.3% (23 cases) due to absence of medical department. In addition, the major medical department with the largest number of retransfer was the department of emergency medicine with 38.2% (166 cases). In the prehospital stage, 38.5% (167 cases) were classified as severe, but in the hospital stage, they were classified as mild. In addition, as a result of hospitalization and discharge, 60.4% (262 cases) were discharged. Conclusion: Most of the retransferred patients were non-emergency patients, and were discharged for mild conditions. The overcrowding in the emergency room of a tertiary hospital can be prevented by reducing the retransmission.

Purpose: In this study we aimed to manufacture and evaluate an oral disintegrating film containing ibuprofen. Methods: Optimal oral ventilation was manufactured using ibuprofen 3g, polyvinyl alcohol #500 4.2g, HPMC K 100M 1.6g, glycerol 4g, TWEEN #20 0.3g, PEG #20 0.3g, citric acid 0.5g, sucralose 0.1g, ethamol 10mL, and distilled water 30mL. Results: Film mass ranged from 110 to 130mg in all prescriptions, showing general uniformity while the water content ranged from 6 to 12%. Measurement of ibuprofen content in all manufactured film solutions averaged 100.12% (98.0-102.0%). The elution test predicted the time taken from the body and the film agent of all prescriptions was released 100% within 5 minutes to confirm the rapid elution. Conclusion: Based on the results of all test, prescription E was proved to be the most suitable.

Purpose: Alcohol intoxication is frequently observed in patients with brain hemorrhage. The purpose of this study was to determine whether intoxication affects the Korean Triage and Acuity Stage (KTAS) level and the emergency medical process in emergency departments. Methods: This study was a retrospective observational study enrolled 253 brain hemorrhage patients (47 of those intoxicated) who visited the emergency medical center on public EMS ambulance from January. 1, 2017 to April, 30, 2019. Data were collected through the electronic medical record (EMR). KTAS level and time to computerized tomography (CT) were compared to evaluate whether inebriation affects care and examination processes. All data were analyzed using SPSS program. Results: Of the 47 patients intoxicated patients, 85.1% were male, and 74.5% accompanied by trauma. Initial KTAS level showed significant differences (77.2%; p=.000) when the level 3,4 was not drunk. The average time taken from triage to CT scans showed a significant difference of 24.81±23.72 (min) when the drunken state was not 58.38±56.54 (min)(p=.000). Conclusion: In patients with brain hemorrhage admitted to ED from public EMS, undertriage and delay after initial assessment were detected in inebriated patients. Careful initial evaluation and prompt medical response should be considered for patients transported by EMS.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare visual blood loss estimation and subjective emergency according to clothing color. Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study which involved the use of mock bleeding patients wearing different colors tops. Results: Differences in visual estimates according to clothing color were significant in both paramedic students (F=6.69, p=.002) and the general department students (F=20.92, p=.000). When looking specifically at the accuracy of visual estimates, the paramedic students group tended to underestimate (50% white, 62.5% black, 32.5% yellow) the actual blood volume in all experimental conditions. On the other hand, the general department group tended to overestimate them (45% white, 40% black, 67.5% yellow). The subjective emergency was also found to differ between paramedic students (F=13.58, p=.000) and general department students (F=9.67, p=.000). Conclusion: Paramedics treating bleeding patients at pre-hospital stages need to pay attention to blood loss estimations depending on clothing color, a factor not to be neglected or underestimated.

Purpose: This study aimed to find out the effectiveness of gum elastic bougies for intubation in comparison to stylet according to airway type using a manikin. Methods: The study subjects were 52 paramedic students who intubated using a Macintosh laryngoscope and compared stylet and gum elastic bougie use in a 7.5 mmID endotracheal tube, on a manikin with either normal or difficult airway. Difficult airway was made Philadelphia neck collar. Collected data included intubation time, accuracy and ease of intubation, later analyzed by frequency analysis, descriptive analysis, independent t-test, chi square test, paired t-test, and McNemar test using SPSS Statistics 18.0. Results: There was a significant difference in intubation time according to intubation device and airway type (p=.000). There was no significant difference in accuracy of intubation according to intubation device or airway type (normal airway p=1.000, difficult airway p=.052). There was a significant difference in ease of intubation scale according to intubation device and airway type (p=.000, p=.000). Conclusion: Based on the speed and ease of intubation, gum elastic bougie is recommended for intubation in patients with difficult airways such as those with cervical injury.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the status of emergency care of pregnant women transported by paramedics, to analyze the knowledge of paramedics related to pregnant women and their self-confidence in emergency care, and to provide foundational data to improve the quality of emergency care for pregnant women. Methods: We received a total of 1,798 rescue logs from 119 paramedics, who had transported pregnant women, in I city from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018. For survey analysis, we used the 164 questionnaires received from these paramedics from June 15 to August 14, 2019. Results: The analysis of the rescue logs revealed that 85.5% (1,537 individuals) either had disease symptoms or were pregnant, whereas only 14.5% (261 individuals) had traffic accidents or accident-related injuries. The mean knowledge of the paramedics related to pregnant women was 23.73 (±2.98) points, and the mean self-confidence in emergency care was 3.19 (±0.74) points. Knowledge of the paramedics about pregnant women and their self-confidence in emergency care of these women had a statistically significant positive correlation (r=.306, p=.000). Conclusion: Paramedics should be provided theoretical and practical training through various programs about the emergency care of pregnant women.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to suggest the qualification criteria for the instructors of first aid education for teachers in the School Health Act. Methods: We compared and analyzed the approval provisions for qualifying as first aid educators under the School Health Act, the Emergency Medical Services Act, and prior studies of first aid education. Results: The comparison of the studies demonstrated some key points. First, the first aid education of teachers could be improved through the knowledge of professional instructors. Second, the doctors, emergency nurse practitioners, and emergency medical technicians (EMT) were suitable as specialized first aid instructors. Third, for qualifying as first aid instructor, only the EMTs required more than five years of career. Conclusion: We suggest that all emergency medical service providers qualify to become first aid educators. Additionally, the requirement of EMTs to have more than 5 years of career to qualify as an instructor should be eliminated.