The 2022 Annual Report on Toxicology Surveillance and Severe Poisoning Cases at Emergency Departments in Korea

Purpose@#This study investigated the actual incidence of acute poisoning in Korea on a nationwide scale, with the aim of laying the groundwork for future initiatives in prevention, strategic antidote distribution, and the development of effective emergency treatment for acute poisoning. @*Methods@#The study analyzed data from 3,038 patients who presented to emergency departments with poisoning-related conditions from June 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 at 10 sites in nine cities across the country. We extracted data on general characteristics of the poisoning cases, including demographic characteristics (age and gender), place of exposure, reason for poisoning, route of exposure, and the substance involved in the poisoning incident. Age-related patterns in reasons for poisoning, medical outcomes, frequent and primary poisoning substances, and deaths were also analyzed. @*Results@#The population analyzed in our study was predominantly female, with women constituting 54.74% of all cases. Among infants and children, non-intentional poisoning due to general accidents was the most common cause, accounting for 71.43% of cases. Conversely, suicidal poisoning was more prevalent among teenagers and adults over 20. Fifty-two patients died during the study period, with males comprising approximately two-thirds (67.31%) of these fatalities. Pesticides were the most common poisoning substance among those who died, accounting for 55.77% of such cases. Notably, a significant majority of the victims were elderly individuals aged 60 and above. @*Conclusion@#This study holds substantial significance, since it represents the first comprehensive investigation and analysis of the symptoms, treatment, and causes of death due to poisoning in Korea on a national scale. By substantially expanding the range and types of poisonous substances examined, we were able to more precisely identify the characteristics and clinical patterns of poisoning cases nationwide.

Current state of automated external defibrillator placement in Korea using geographic information system

Objective@#Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been installed for use on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients in Korea. However, there are very few cases in which the AED was used before the 119 paramedics arrived in cardiac arrest patients. This study investigated whether the locations of the AED in Korea were appropriate. @*Methods@#This study analyzed the locations of OHCA patients, AED installations, and the number of OHCA patients within a 100-m grid around the AEDs in public and residential areas by province. The information on acute cardiac arrest patients was obtained from the original data of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. The installation of AEDs is registered with the National Emergency Medical Center. @*Results@#The number of OHCA patients in public and residential areas was 28,434 and 95,713, respectively, and the number of installed AEDs in these locations was 15,387 and 11,420, respectively. The number of OHCA patients per AED was 1.8 in public areas and 8.4 in residential areas, and there were significant differences by province (P<0.001). The percentage of OHCA patients within the 100-m grid around the AEDs was 21.9% and 23.1% in public and residential areas, respectively (P<0.001). @*Conclusion@#There were significant differences in the AED placement locations in public and residential areas by province. In addition, the percentage of OHCA patients within a 100-m grid around AED was only 22.9%, indicating that the number of AEDs was insufficient. Efforts to enhance the AED placements and monitoring are needed to resolve the regional deviations.

The feasibility of synchronous online learning as a tool for KTAS (Korean Triage and Acuity Scale) education in the COVID-19 era

Objective@#Since 2012, the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) has been used to triage patients in an emergency care setting, and the KTAS provider course was started in 2014. However, due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this course could not be taught to learners face-to-face (FTFL). Therefore, a new KTAS course using synchronous online learning was launched in July 2020. This study investigated whether synchronous online learning (SOL) is as effective as traditional learning (FTFL) for KTAS education. @*Methods@#This was a retrospective study of trainees who participated in the KTAS provider course in Seoul, Korea. The trainees were divided into FTFL and SOL groups. The post-test results of the two training methods were compared, and the association between the type of education and the training results was analyzed. @*Results@#The mean post-test score of the FTFL and SOL groups were 78.16±12.4 points and 80.71±9.91 points, and the post-test pass rates were 79.2% and 82.1%, respectively. The mean difference (MD) between the two groups indicated the non-inferiority of SOL in the post-test scores (MD, 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.35 to 3.75) and the pass rate (MD, 2.9%; 95% CI, -1.2 to 0.7). The results of the multivariate analysis revealed that the pass rate was associated with younger age and an emergency department career of over 18 months. However, there was no significant association between the education type and the results. @*Conclusion@#Through this study, SOL was shown to be as effective as FTFL in KTAS education. Furthermore, SOL may be the best alternative educational method during the COVID-19 pandemic because it has the advantage of resolving spatial restrictions.

Analysis of reasons for the termination of resuscitation in non-traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrests before and after the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective@#The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic saw rising cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. In addition, there was an increase in the number of cardiac arrest terminations. This study analyzes the 3-year status (2018 to 2020) of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest resuscitation terminations. @*Methods@#This study is a retrospective observational study based on the diary of 119 first aid activities in the Seoul area. Factors analyzed included patient demographics, history, location of occurrence, witness status, cause of cardiac arrest, electrocardiogram rhythm, reasons for cardiac arrest termination, and hospital transfer. Data obtained from the periods January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019 (defined as the pre_COVID-19 period) and from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020 (defined as the COVID-19 period) were compared and analyzed. @*Results@#There was an increase in the number of terminated resuscitation cases during the study period. Most cases were elderly men with chronic disease who underwent asystole arrest at home. The reasons for the termination of resuscitation were obvious evidence of death, refusal of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by the guardian, medical guidance, and cessation of prior life-sustaining treatment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, clear evidence of death and refusal of CPR by caregivers were statistically and significantly increased. @*Conclusion@#The results of this study indicate a rise in the number of cases subjected to termination of resuscitation during the COVID-19 period. It is, therefore, necessary to find a way to improve this situation.

Effects of mobile messenger counseling on case management success for individuals engaging in self-harm or suicide attempts who were discharged from emergency departments

Objective@#Postdischarge case management for self-harm or suicide attempters often fails; therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of mobile messenger counseling (MMC) on the postdischarge case management results among this patient group. @*Methods@#A retrospective analysis was done with data collected from March 2015 to February 2020 that included self-harm or suicide attempters who had visited a Korean emergency department and were discharged. If patients consented, postdischarge case management and MMC were conducted from March 2017. The primary outcome was the rate of successful case management, which reflects the patients either connecting to a local psychiatric healthcare center or undergoing a follow-up at a neuropsychiatric outpatient department at least once following discharge. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, we evaluated MMC’s effects on these patients’ postdischarge case management. @*Results@#Of 913 patients, 604 participated in this study. In terms of successful case management, the MMC group showed a significantly higher rate than the non-MMC one (28.3% vs. 16.1%, P=0.001). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that access to postdischarge MMC (odds ratio, 2.149; 95% confidence interval, 1.357–3.403; P=0.001) and giving consent for case management while in the emergency department were significantly associated with successful case management (odds ratio, 8.917; 95% confidence interval, 5.610–14.173; P<0.001). @*Conclusion@#The use of MMC for self-harm or suicide attempters is associated with higher case management success rates by increasing their chances of connecting to a psychiatric healthcare center or a neuropsychiatric outpatient department.

Risk Factors for Intracranial Injury Caused by Falls at Home in Korea Using Data from the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance (2011–2018)

Background@#Most unintentional injuries that occur at home are preventable. However, it may be difficult to sufficiently reduce the number of falls occurring at home by only identifying risk factors focused on specific age groups. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the risk factors (especially age and places where injuries occurred at home) for intracranial injury (ICI) caused by unintentional falls at home. @*Methods@#Using the Emergency Department (ED)-Based Injury In-depth Surveillance, we analyzed the data of patients who visited the ED due to unintentional falls at home. Risk factors were identified using multivariable logistic regression according to age groups and interactions between place of injury occurrence and age groups, and sex and age groups were assessed. @*Results@#In total, 232,124 patients were included in the analysis; older adults had a higher adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 14.05 (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.74–15.49) of ICI than infants. The corridor was associated with ICI in the male pediatric group (aOR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.08–6.84) and the balcony with the female pediatric group (aOR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.03–4.04). In the adult group, aOR of kitchen was 1.38 (95% CI, 1.02–1.88) in females and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.48–0.66) in males. @*Conclusion@#In this study, we identified the risk factors of ICI caused by falls at home using ED-based injury surveillance data. The risk of ICI was different among places of occurrence in the home depending on the age groups and sex.

Effects of mobile messenger counseling on case management success for individuals engaging in self-harm or suicide attempts who were discharged from emergency departments

Objective@#Postdischarge case management for self-harm or suicide attempters often fails; therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of mobile messenger counseling (MMC) on the postdischarge case management results among this patient group. @*Methods@#A retrospective analysis was done with data collected from March 2015 to February 2020 that included self-harm or suicide attempters who had visited a Korean emergency department and were discharged. If patients consented, postdischarge case management and MMC were conducted from March 2017. The primary outcome was the rate of successful case management, which reflects the patients either connecting to a local psychiatric healthcare center or undergoing a follow-up at a neuropsychiatric outpatient department at least once following discharge. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, we evaluated MMC’s effects on these patients’ postdischarge case management. @*Results@#Of 913 patients, 604 participated in this study. In terms of successful case management, the MMC group showed a significantly higher rate than the non-MMC one (28.3% vs. 16.1%, P=0.001). A multivariate analysis demonstrated that access to postdischarge MMC (odds ratio, 2.149; 95% confidence interval, 1.357–3.403; P=0.001) and giving consent for case management while in the emergency department were significantly associated with successful case management (odds ratio, 8.917; 95% confidence interval, 5.610–14.173; P<0.001). @*Conclusion@#The use of MMC for self-harm or suicide attempters is associated with higher case management success rates by increasing their chances of connecting to a psychiatric healthcare center or a neuropsychiatric outpatient department.

Risk Factors for Intracranial Injury Caused by Falls at Home in Korea Using Data from the Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance (2011–2018)

Background@#Most unintentional injuries that occur at home are preventable. However, it may be difficult to sufficiently reduce the number of falls occurring at home by only identifying risk factors focused on specific age groups. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the risk factors (especially age and places where injuries occurred at home) for intracranial injury (ICI) caused by unintentional falls at home. @*Methods@#Using the Emergency Department (ED)-Based Injury In-depth Surveillance, we analyzed the data of patients who visited the ED due to unintentional falls at home. Risk factors were identified using multivariable logistic regression according to age groups and interactions between place of injury occurrence and age groups, and sex and age groups were assessed. @*Results@#In total, 232,124 patients were included in the analysis; older adults had a higher adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 14.05 (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.74–15.49) of ICI than infants. The corridor was associated with ICI in the male pediatric group (aOR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.08–6.84) and the balcony with the female pediatric group (aOR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.03–4.04). In the adult group, aOR of kitchen was 1.38 (95% CI, 1.02–1.88) in females and 0.56 (95% CI, 0.48–0.66) in males. @*Conclusion@#In this study, we identified the risk factors of ICI caused by falls at home using ED-based injury surveillance data. The risk of ICI was different among places of occurrence in the home depending on the age groups and sex.

Meteorological Factors Associated with the Number of Emergency Room Patients with Wrist-Cutting Behavior / 정신신체의학

Objectives@#：Although the seasonality of suicide is a well-known phenomenon, little is reported about the seasonality of non-suicidal self-injury. The purpose of this study was to identify the seasonality of wristcutting behavior and to examine its relationship with meteorological factors. @*Methods@#：To identify the presence of seasonality, we investigated whether there was a difference in the average number of visits per month to an emergency room (ER) of an urban hospital for 226 patients with wrist-cutting behavior enrolled between December 2014 and May 2019. To ascertain significant meteorological factors, we used the multiple Poisson regression using generalized additive model with time, monthly temperature, monthly sunshine hour, and atmospheric pressure in the prior month as explanatory variables. @*Results@#：In males, the average number of monthly visits to the ER for wrist cutting behavior differed by month and was the highest in September (male : p=0.048, female : p=0.21, total : p=0.28). As a result of multiple regression analysis, the average number of patients admitted to the ER for wrist cutting behavior was related to the interaction between atmospheric pressure in the prior month and temperature in males (p=0.010), and showed a positive correlation with sunlight in females [p=0.044 , β=4.70×10-3 , 95% CI=(1.19×10-4 , 9.27×10-3 )]. @*Conclusions@#：Wrist cutting behavior shows seasonality in male, which is associated with changes in meteorological variables.

Clinical Guidance for Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency and Critical Care Areas after Implementing Insurance Coverage in Korea

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool that is widely used in the emergency and intensive care areas. In Korea, insurance coverage of ultrasound examination has been gradually expanding in accordance with measures to enhance Korean National Insurance Coverage since 2017 to 2021, and which will continue until 2021. Full coverage of health insurance for POCUS in the emergency and critical care areas was implemented in July 2019. The National Health Insurance Act classified POCUS as a single or multiple-targeted ultrasound examination (STU vs. MTU). STU scans are conducted of one organ at a time, while MTU includes scanning of multiple organs simultaneously to determine each clinical situation. POCUS can be performed even if a diagnostic ultrasound examination is conducted, based on the physician's decision. However, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service plans to monitor the prescription status of whether the POCUS and diagnostic ultrasound examinations are prescribed simultaneously and repeatedly. Additionally, MTU is allowed only in cases of trauma, cardiac arrest, shock, chest pain, and dyspnea and should be performed by a qualified physician. Although physicians should scan all parts of the chest, heart, and abdomen when they prescribe MTU, they are not required to record all findings in the medical record. Therefore, appropriate prescription, application, and recording of POCUS are needed to enhance the quality of patient care and avoid unnecessary cut of medical budget spending. The present article provides background and clinical guidance for POCUS based on the implementation of full health insurance coverage for POCUS that began in July 2019 in Korea.

Simulation study about cardiac arrest recognition of emergency medical dispatcher using video call

Objective@#Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation is important for the survival of cardiac arrest patients. The rapid recognition of cardiac arrest by dispatchers leads to quicker initiation of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This study examines the use of video phone by dispatchers in recognizing cardiac arrest. @*Methods@#Between June to October 2018, 227 participants were recruited (114 lay people and 113 dispatchers) for this study. Lay people participants answered prepared questionnaires after watching 6 scenario video clips of a collapsed virtual patient with unresponsiveness. Dispatchers were divided into two groups: audio call group and video call group. The audio call group judged for occurrence of a cardiac arrest in the 6 scenarios, referring only to questionnaires of the lay people. The video call group judged the same scenarios referring to questionnaires and scenario video clips. The score of correct answers of each scenario was subsequently analyzed. @*Results@#Significant difference was obtained for the total score among the audio call group and the video call group (3.67 ±1.3 vs. 4.66±1.11, respectively; P<0.001). In 2 scenarios concerning cardiac arrest with gasping, the correct answer rate was higher in the video call group (63.9% vs. 85.2%, P<0.001; 59.5% vs. 74.8%, P=0.014). In 2 other scenarios showing non-cardiac arrest with normal breathing, the correct answer rate was also higher in the video call group (52.7% vs. 71.4, P=0.010; 38.2% vs. 63.6%, P<0.001). @*Conclusion@#This study determined that compared to the audio call group, dispatchers of the video call group were more accurate in recognizing cardiac arrest. This indicates that video phones are more helpful in determining gasping and in discerning cardiac arrest with syncope or seizure.

Feasibility study of mobile video call guidance for laypersons’ automated external defibrillator use: a randomized simulation study

Objective@#The incidence of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has increased rapidly over the past 10 years. On the other hand, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are still only used in a minority of cases. This study investigated the feasibility of mobile video call guidance to facilitate AED use for laypeople. @*Methods@#Ninety laypersons were randomized into three groups: mobile video call guided, voice call guided, and nonguided. The participants were exposed to a simulated cardiac arrest requiring AED use and guided by video call, voice call, or not. The simulation experiments were saved as a video clip, and other researchers blinded to simulation assessed the performance according to a prespecified checklist after the simulations. The performance score and analyzed time intervals from AED arrival to defibrillation in the three groups were compared. @*Results@#The basic characteristics were similar in the three groups. Performance scores in the checklist for using AEDs were higher in the mobile video call guided group, particularly in a category of ‘power on AED’ and ‘correctly attaches pads’ than non-guided groups. The performance scores in the category of ‘safely delivers a shock and resume compression’ were also higher in the mobile video call group. On the other hand, the time interval to defibrillation was significantly longer in the mobile video call group. @*Conclusion@#This study showed that mobile video call guidance might be an alternative method for laypeople to facilitate AED use, but further well-designed research will be needed.

Clinical Guidance for Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency and Critical Care Areas after Implementing Insurance Coverage in Korea

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool that is widely used in the emergency and intensive care areas. In Korea, insurance coverage of ultrasound examination has been gradually expanding in accordance with measures to enhance Korean National Insurance Coverage since 2017 to 2021, and which will continue until 2021. Full coverage of health insurance for POCUS in the emergency and critical care areas was implemented in July 2019. The National Health Insurance Act classified POCUS as a single or multiple-targeted ultrasound examination (STU vs. MTU). STU scans are conducted of one organ at a time, while MTU includes scanning of multiple organs simultaneously to determine each clinical situation. POCUS can be performed even if a diagnostic ultrasound examination is conducted, based on the physician's decision. However, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service plans to monitor the prescription status of whether the POCUS and diagnostic ultrasound examinations are prescribed simultaneously and repeatedly. Additionally, MTU is allowed only in cases of trauma, cardiac arrest, shock, chest pain, and dyspnea and should be performed by a qualified physician. Although physicians should scan all parts of the chest, heart, and abdomen when they prescribe MTU, they are not required to record all findings in the medical record. Therefore, appropriate prescription, application, and recording of POCUS are needed to enhance the quality of patient care and avoid unnecessary cut of medical budget spending. The present article provides background and clinical guidance for POCUS based on the implementation of full health insurance coverage for POCUS that began in July 2019 in Korea.

Meteorological Factors Associated with the Number of Emergency Room Patients with Wrist-Cutting Behavior / 정신신체의학

Objectives@#：Although the seasonality of suicide is a well-known phenomenon, little is reported about the seasonality of non-suicidal self-injury. The purpose of this study was to identify the seasonality of wristcutting behavior and to examine its relationship with meteorological factors. @*Methods@#：To identify the presence of seasonality, we investigated whether there was a difference in the average number of visits per month to an emergency room (ER) of an urban hospital for 226 patients with wrist-cutting behavior enrolled between December 2014 and May 2019. To ascertain significant meteorological factors, we used the multiple Poisson regression using generalized additive model with time, monthly temperature, monthly sunshine hour, and atmospheric pressure in the prior month as explanatory variables. @*Results@#：In males, the average number of monthly visits to the ER for wrist cutting behavior differed by month and was the highest in September (male : p=0.048, female : p=0.21, total : p=0.28). As a result of multiple regression analysis, the average number of patients admitted to the ER for wrist cutting behavior was related to the interaction between atmospheric pressure in the prior month and temperature in males (p=0.010), and showed a positive correlation with sunlight in females [p=0.044 , β=4.70×10-3 , 95% CI=(1.19×10-4 , 9.27×10-3 )]. @*Conclusions@#：Wrist cutting behavior shows seasonality in male, which is associated with changes in meteorological variables.

Clinical Guidance for Point-of-Care Ultrasound in the Emergency and Critical Care Areas after Implementing Insurance Coverage in Korea

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a useful tool that is widely used in the emergency and intensive care areas. In Korea, insurance coverage of ultrasound examination has been gradually expanding in accordance with measures to enhance Korean National Insurance Coverage since 2017 to 2021, and which will continue until 2021. Full coverage of health insurance for POCUS in the emergency and critical care areas was implemented in July 2019. The National Health Insurance Act classified POCUS as a single or multiple-targeted ultrasound examination (STU vs. MTU). STU scans are conducted of one organ at a time, while MTU includes scanning of multiple organs simultaneously to determine each clinical situation. POCUS can be performed even if a diagnostic ultrasound examination is conducted, based on the physician's decision. However, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service plans to monitor the prescription status of whether the POCUS and diagnostic ultrasound examinations are prescribed simultaneously and repeatedly. Additionally, MTU is allowed only in cases of trauma, cardiac arrest, shock, chest pain, and dyspnea and should be performed by a qualified physician. Although physicians should scan all parts of the chest, heart, and abdomen when they prescribe MTU, they are not required to record all findings in the medical record. Therefore, appropriate prescription, application, and recording of POCUS are needed to enhance the quality of patient care and avoid unnecessary cut of medical budget spending. The present article provides background and clinical guidance for POCUS based on the implementation of full health insurance coverage for POCUS that began in July 2019 in Korea.

Gender and Intentionality Disparities in the Epidemiology and Outcomes of Falls from Height in Korean Adults

PURPOSE@#This study investigated the characteristics of adult patients who had fallen from a height and presented to an emergency room (ER) according to gender and intentionality, with the goal of reducing the harm caused by these injuries.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was conducted of fall-from-height patients aged ≥19 years from the in-depth surveillance study of injured patients visiting ERs conducted under the supervision of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2011 to 2016. Patterns were analyzed according to gender and intentionality.@*RESULTS@#There were 29,838 men (68.5%) and 13,734 women (31.5%), with mean ages of 50.3±15.7 years and 57.2±19.9 years, respectively. The most common height of the fall was ≥1 m to 4 m in men (n=15,863; 53.2%) and <1 m in women (n=7,293; 53.1%). The most common location where the fall occurred was the workplace for men (n=10,500 male; 35.2%) and residential facilities for women (n=7,755; 56.5%). Most falls from height were unintentional (n=41,765; 97.1% vs. n=1,264; 2.9% for intentional falls). Suicide was the most frequent reason for intentional falls, and the age group of 19–30 years predominated in this category (n=377; 29.9%). For intentional falls, the most common interval before presentation to the ER was 0–6 hours (n=370; 29.3%) and the most common height was ≥4 m (n=872; 69.0%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Among men, falls from height most often occurred from ≥1 m to 4 m, at the workplace, and during the course of paid work, whereas among women, they were most common from <1 m, in residential facilities, and during daily activities. Intentional falls most often occurred with the purpose of suicide, in the age group of 19–30 years, with an interval of 0–6 hours until treatment, from ≥4 m, and in residential facilities. Alcohol consumption was more common in intentional falls.

Keywords analysis of the Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine using text mining

OBJECTIVE: Data mining extracts meaningful information from large datasets. In this study, text mining techniques were used to extract keywords from the Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine, and the change trend was examined. METHODS: The rvest package in R was used to extract all papers published in the Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine from 2006 to 2016 that could be searched online. Among them, 3,952 keywords were extracted and studied. Using the selected keywords, the corpus was formed by refining keywords that did not correspond to MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) or were misspelled and had similar meanings based on agreement of researchers. Using the refined keywords, the frequencies of the keywords in the first and second halves of the studies were calculated and visualized. RESULTS: Word Cloud revealed that emergency medical service and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) were most frequently mentioned in both the first and second halves of the studies. In the first half, ultrasonography, stroke, poisoning, injury, and education were frequently mentioned, while in the second half, poisoning, injury, stroke, acute, and tomography were frequently mentioned. A pyramid graph revealed that the frequencies of emergency medical service and CPR were commonly high. CONCLUSION: Core keywords of the Journal of the Korean Society of Emergency Medicine were analyzed for correlations and trends. Changes in study topics according to key topics of interest and period were visually identified.

Effectiveness of post-discharge case management of patients who attempted suicide and self-injurious behavior through mobile messenger counseling

OBJECTIVE: Mobile messengers are becoming common methods to communicate among people in various fields. This study investigated the effectiveness of mobile messengers as a tool for post-discharge case management of emergency department patients who attempted suicide and self-harm. METHODS: This study was a retrospective observational study of data collected prospectively. A total of 327 patients who attempted suicide and self-harm in the emergency department were divided into two groups: a conventional protocol group with a face-to-face or phone call interview and a new protocol group with added mobile messenger counseling. The basic characteristics, such as sex, age, methods of suicide and self-harm attempt, consent for case management, and admission to a ward, were surveyed. The rates of successful case management (transfer to a local community center or follow-up to neuropsychiatric outpatient clinic, or both) were compared as a primary outcome between the two groups. RESULTS: The conventional protocol group was 122 cases and the new protocol group was 205 cases. No significant differences in sex, age, methods of suicide and self-harm attempt, rate of consent to case management, and admission to a ward were observed between the two groups. On the other hand, the total successful management rate in mobile messenger group was higher than that of the other group (P=0.020). CONCLUSION: This study showed that mobile messengers could be an alternative communication tool for the post-discharge case management of patients who attempted suicide and self-injurious behavior. Nevertheless, a well-designed future study might be needed to determine if that method would reduce the reattempt rate.

Abdominal pain without bruising or sign of trauma: pancreatic injuries in children is difficult to predict

Pancreatic injuries due to trauma in children are rare. An early diagnosis is difficult as the signs and symptoms are insidious, but delays in diagnosis can lead to significant complications. We report a case of a child who visited the emergency department with aggravating abdominal pain. The physicians first diagnosed the abdominal pain as being caused by a disease in the emergency department, but the patient was subsequently diagnosed with pancreatic injury. Clinicians should be aware of a possible trauma in children who complain of vague abdominal pain even in the absence of corresponding history.

Korean Cardiac Arrest Research Consortium (KoCARC): rationale, development, and implementation

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the conceptualization, development, and implementation processes of the newly established Korean Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation Consortium (KoCARC) to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) outcomes. METHODS: The KoCARC was established in 2014 by recruiting hospitals willing to participate voluntarily. To enhance professionalism in research, seven research committees, the Epidemiology and Preventive Research Committee, Community Resuscitation Research Committee, Emergency Medical System Resuscitation Research Committee, Hospital Resuscitation Research Committee, Hypothermia and Postresuscitation Care Research Committee, Cardiac Care Resuscitation Committee, and Pediatric Resuscitation Research Committee, were organized under a steering committee. The KoCARC registry was developed with variables incorporated in the currently existing regional OHCA registries and Utstein templates and were collected via a web-based electronic database system. The KoCARC study population comprises patients visiting the participating hospitals who had been treated by the emergency medical system for OHCA presumed to have a cardiac etiology. RESULTS: A total of 62 hospitals volunteered to participate in the KoCARC, which captures 33.0% of the study population in Korea. Web-based data collection started in October 2015, and to date (December 2016), there were 3,187 cases compiled in the registry collected from 32 hospitals. CONCLUSION: The KoCARC is a self-funded, voluntary, hospital-based collaborative research network providing high level evidence in the field of OHCA and resuscitation. This paper will serve as a reference for subsequent KoCARC manuscripts and for data elements collected in the study.