Predictability of the emergency department triage system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: Emergency department (ED) triage systems are used to classify the severity and urgency of emergency patients, and Korean medical institutions use the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, appropriate treatment for emergency patients was delayed due to various circumstances, such as overcrowding of EDs, lack of medical workforce resources, and increased workload on medical staff. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the KTAS in predicting the urgency of emergency patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Usefulness of contrast-enhanced multi-detector computed tomography in identifying upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A retrospective study of patients admitted to the emergency department.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a major cause of clinical deterioration worldwide. A large number of patients with UGIB cannot be diagnosed through endoscopy, which is normally the diagnostic method of choice. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) for patients with suspected UGIB.

Craniofacial and dental injuries associated with stand-up electric scooters.

Background/aim: With the recent increased share of stand-up electric scooters (e-scooters), it is common to see people riding e-scooters on the roads in Korea. The aim of this study was to investigate traumatic injuries to the craniofacial region related to e-scooter accidents and to determine the role of dentists (especially oral and maxillofacial surgeons) in the evaluation of patients with trauma at the emergency department due to an e-scooter accident.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study investigated the medical records of patients who visited the Gangnam Severance Hospital Emergency Care Center for trauma related to e-scooter use from January 1, 2017 to March 31, 2020.

Benefits of High-Flow Nasal Cannula Therapy for Acute Pulmonary Edema in Patients with Heart Failure in the Emergency Department: A Prospective Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial.

Heart failure patients with pulmonary edema presenting to the emergency department (ED) require an effective approach to deliver sufficient oxygen and reduce the rate of intubation and mechanical ventilation in the ED; conventional oxygen therapy has proven ineffective in delivering enough oxygen to the tissues. We aimed to identify whether high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) therapy over time improved the respiratory rate (RR), lactate clearance, and certain arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters, in comparison with conventional oxygen therapy, in patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema. This prospective, multi-institutional, and interventional study (clinical trial, reference KCT0004578) conducted between 2016 and 2019 included adult patients diagnosed with heart failure within the previous year and pulmonary edema confirmed at admission.

Usefulness of the Thrombotic Microangiopathy Score as a Promising Prognostic Marker of Septic Shock for Patients in the Emergency Department.

The thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) score based on the development and morphological characteristics of schistocytes is a rapid, simple biomarker that is easily obtained from the complete blood cell count by an automated blood cell analyzer. We aimed to determine whether the TMA score is associated with 30-day mortality of patients with early-stage septic shock. This observational cohort study was retrospectively conducted based on a prospective emergency department (ED) registry (June 2015-December 2016).

Flipped-classroom training in advanced cardiopulmonary life support.

Background: The effects of the flipped classroom have been demonstrated in various fields of education in recent years. Training in emergency medicine is also beginning to gradually implement the flipped classroom; however, its practical effect in emergency medicine contexts is not yet clear.

Objective: The present study investigates the effects of the flipped classroom on advanced cardiopulmonary life support (ACLS) training implemented among practicum students in emergency medicine.

Simulated internal jugular vein cannulation using a needle-guiding device.

Background: Using a two-dimensional ultrasound-guided approach does not guarantee success during the first attempt at internal jugular vein cannulation. Our randomized, parallel simulation study examined whether a new disposable device could improve the success rate of the first attempt at ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein cannulation of a simulated internal jugular vein.

Methods: Eighty-eight participants were randomized to perform needle insertion for internal jugular vein cannulation of a phantom using the ultrasound-guided approach with (case group) or without (control group) this new device.

Effects of Paraquat Ban on Herbicide Poisoning-Related Mortality.

Purpose: In Korea, registration of paraquat-containing herbicides was canceled in November 2011, and sales thereof were completely banned in November 2012. We evaluated the effect of the paraquat ban on the epidemiology and mortality of herbicide-induced poisoning.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed patients treated for herbicide poisoning at 17 emergency departments in South Korea between January 2010 and December 2014.

Usefulness of the delta neutrophil index as an ancillary test in the emergency department for the early diagnosis of suspected acute promyelocytic leukemia.

The delta neutrophil index (DNI) reflects the fraction of circulating immature granulocytes. We evaluated the usefulness of DNI values in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to distinguish the acute stage of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). We analyzed patients retrospectively who were first diagnosed with AML upon admission to the emergency department (ED).

A bibliometric analysis of research productivity of emergency medicine researchers in South Korea.

Objective: During the past 20 years, over 1,400 doctors have been certified as emergency physicians in Korea. The number of scientific publications in the field of emergency medicine has also increased. This study aims to evaluate the research productivity of academic emergency physicians in South Korea.

Usefulness of the Delta Neutrophil Index as a Promising Prognostic Marker of Acute Cholangitis in Emergency Departments.

Purpose: Recent technological advances have led to analyses of the delta neutrophil index (DNI), which reflects the fraction of circulating immature granulocytes, using specific automated blood cell analyzers. We evaluated the significance of the DNI as a prognostic marker for early severity in patients with acute cholangitis.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients initially diagnosed with acute cholangitis at emergency department admission, followed by diagnostic confirmation, during a set period.

Use of bedside sonography for diagnosing acute epiglottitis in the emergency department: a preliminary study.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of sonography to identify acute epiglottitis in the emergency department.

Methods: Fifteen patients with a final diagnosis of acute epiglottitis from indirect laryngoscopy by an otolaryngologist were enrolled in the study. To compare the normal epiglottis and acute epiglottitis, 15 healthy volunteers were assigned to a control group.