A prospective study about the discrepancy between postmortem inspections conducted by emergency physicians and forensic pathologists.

Background: In South Korea, most postmortem examination certificates (death certificates) are issued by attending physicians working in the emergency department (ED). However, ED overcrowding has made continuous education and quality control of the postmortem examination certificate difficult. In this context, the National Forensic Service (NFS) is conducting an on-site postmortem inspection (OPI) project.

Validation and proposal for cut-off values of an abbreviated version of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective: Several abbreviated versions of the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) have been developed and are widely used in clinical settings. In this study, we provide evidence supporting the use of abbreviated versions of AUDIT by comparing the utility of various abbreviated versions and determining cut-off values for the population of South Korea.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 4th to 6th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

Screening Test for At-Risk Drinking: Development of New Abbreviated Version of Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test for Young and Middle-Aged Adults.

Several abbreviated versions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) have been developed for use in high-volume clinical situations such as emergency departments. In this study, we developed a new abbreviated version of AUDIT called the Screening Tool for At-risk Drinking (STAD) for young and middle-aged adults, consisting of two questions that reflect the structure of the AUDIT questionnaire using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). To derive the abbreviated test considering AUDIT item structure, we performed confirmatory factor analysis on the 10 AUDIT questions in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) IV.

Body mass index as a prognostic factor in organophosphate-poisoned patients.

Organophosphate poisoning is a serious clinical entity and considerable morbidity and mortality. Several factors have been identified to predict outcomes of organophosphate poisoning. Organophosphates are lipophilic and therefore predicted to have a large volume of distribution and to rapidly distribute into tissue and fat.

Characteristics of intentional fall injuries in the ED.

Introduction: This study was conducted to examine the characteristics of intentional fall injuries and the factors associated with their prognosis.

Methods: The study included 8992 patients with unintentional falls from a height (nonintentional group) and 144 patients with intentional falls from a height (intentional group). General and clinical characteristics were compared between the 2 groups.

Emergency cricothyrotomy for trismus caused by instantaneous rigor in cardiac arrest patients.

Instantaneous rigor as muscle stiffening occurring in the moment of death (or cardiac arrest) can be confused with rigor mortis. If trismus is caused by instantaneous rigor, orotracheal intubation is impossible and a surgical airway should be secured. Here, we report 2 patients who had emergency cricothyrotomy for trismus caused by instantaneous rigor.

Characteristics of alcohol-related injuries in adolescents visiting the emergency department.

Alcohol is frequently a factor affecting emergency department patients, and alcohol consumption is more common among those who are injured. In Korea, the socioeconomic impact of alcohol has been enormous because of traditional permissive attitudes toward alcohol. Juvenile drinking has increased recently; consequently, an increase in alcohol-related injuries is likely in this population.

Use of maximal sterile barrier precautions and/or antimicrobial-coated catheters to reduce the risk of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infection.

Central venous catheter-related bloodstream infection is clinically important because of its high mortality rate. This prospective study shows by multivariate analysis that the use of maximal sterile barrier precautions (odds ratio, 5.205 [95% confidence interval, 0.

Utility of the international classification of diseases injury severity score: detecting preventable deaths and comparing the performance of emergency medical centers.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of the International Classification of Diseases-based Injury Severity Score (ICISS) to detect preventable deaths, and to compare the performance of trauma care facilities.

Methods: For 2 years, from 1997 to 1998, 131 trauma deaths and 1,087 blunt trauma inpatients from 6 emergency medical centers (EMCs) in Korea were reviewed. Trauma deaths were reviewed and the preventability of those deaths was judged by two professional panels.