Search

Background. Rotational thrombelastometry (ROTEM) has been used to evaluate the coagulation state, predict transfusion, and optimize hemostatic management in trauma patients. However, there were limited studies on whether the prediction value could be improved by adding the ROTEM parameter to the prediction model for in-hospital mortality and massive transfusion (MT) in trauma patients. Objective. This study assessed whether ROTEM data could improve the MT prediction model. Method. This was a single-center, retrospective study. Patients who presented to the trauma center and underwent ROTEM between 2016 and 2020 were included. The primary and secondary outcomes were massive transfusions and in-hospital mortality, respectively. We constructed two models using multivariate logistic regression with backward conditional stepwise elimination (Model 1: without the ROTEM parameter and Model 2: with the ROTEM parameter). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was calculated to assess the predictive ability of the models. Result. In total, 969 patients were included; 196 (20.2%) received MT. The in-hospital mortality rate was 14.1%. For MT, the AUROC was 0.854 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.825–0.883) and 0.860 (95% CI, 0.832–0.888) for Model 1 and 2, respectively. For in-hospital mortality, the AUROC was 0.886 (95% CI, 0.857–0.915) and 0.889 (95% CI, 0.861–0.918) for models 1 and 2, respectively. The AUROC values for models 1 and 2 were not statistically different for either MT or in-hospital mortality. Conclusion. We found that the addition of the ROTEM parameter did not significantly improve the predictive power of MT and in-hospital mortality in trauma patients.

Background While transarterial embolization (TAE) is an effective way to control arterial bleeding associated with pelvic fracture, the clinical outcomes according to door-to-embolization (DTE) time are unclear. This study investigated how DTE time affects outcomes in patients with severe pelvic fracture. Methods Using a trauma database between November 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019, trauma patients undergoing TAE were retrospectively reviewed. The final study population included 192 patients treated with TAE. The relationships between DTE time and patients’ outcomes were evaluated. Multiple binomial logistic regression analyses, multiple linear regression analyses, and Cox hazard proportional regression analyses were performed to estimate the impacts of DTE time on clinical outcomes. Results The median DTE time was 150 min (interquartile range, 121–184). The mortality rates in the first 24 h and overall were 3.7% and 14.6%, respectively. DTE time served as an independent risk factor for mortality in the first 24 h (adjusted odds ratio = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20–3.34, p = 0.008). In Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratio of DTE time for mortality at 28 days was 1.24 (95% CI = 1.04–1.47, p = 0.014). In addition, there was a positive relationship between DTE time and requirement for packed red blood cell transfusion during the initial 24 h and a negative relationship between DTE time and ICU-free days to day 28. Conclusion Shorter DTE time was associated with better survival in the first 24 h, as well as other clinical outcomes, in patients with complex pelvic fracture who underwent TAE. Efforts to minimize DTE time are recommended to improve the clinical outcomes in patients with pelvic fracture treated with TAE.

This paper discusses the future development of air ambulance operations in Korea. Helicopter emergency medical services are a useful means of transporting critically ill patients to the right hospital, at the right time. It is an important element of the emergency medical system to treat acute diseases at the scene, or in transit. For more efficient operations of the emergency medical helicopters (air ambulances or the so-called ‘Doctor Helgi’ in Korea), various challenges are faced. These include, the expansion of air ambulance bases, proper placement of rendezvous points (landing point), increase of field transport requests, and the operation of night missions. First, it is necessary to reduce the disparity in the benefits of emergency medical care for critically ill patients through the expansion of helicopter bases. Second, through the advancement of joint operations of the pan-ministerial emergency medical helicopters, the time from dispatch to helicopter take-off should be minimized, and a quality improvement program for air transportation should be carried out. Third, it is necessary to increase the number of insufficient rendezvous points and ensure the safety of the helicopters during takeoff and landing, to activate field transportation. Finally, the safety of patients and medical staff should be secured through the systematic preparation of the air transport system for future night missions. To solve these tasks, an appropriate legal system for helicopter emergency medical service is required. Based on the improved system, it is expected that everyone will enjoy equal rights for health, regardless of the regions.

Rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) can only detect high-degree hyperfibrinolysis (HF), despite being frequently used in trauma patients. We investigated whether considering FIBTEM HF (the presence of maximal lysis (ML) > 15%) could increase ROTEM-based HF detection’s sensitivity. This observational cohort study was performed at a level 1 trauma centre. Trauma patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) > 15 who underwent ROTEM in the emergency department between 2016 and 2017 were included. EXTEM HF was defined as ML > 15% in EXTEM. We compared mortality rates between EXTEM HF, FIBTEM HF, and non-HF patient groups. Overall, 402 patients were included, of whom 45% were men (mean age, 52.5 years; mean ISS, 27). The EXTEM HF (n = 37), FIBTEM HF (n = 132), and non-HF (n = 233) groups had mortality rates of 81.1%, 22.3%, and 10.3%, respectively. The twofold difference in mortality rates between the FIBTEM HF and non-HF groups remained statistically significant after Bonferroni correction (P = 0.01). On multivariable Cox regression analysis, FIBTEM HF was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 2.15, 95% confidence interval 1.21–3.84, P = 0.009). Here, trauma patients with FIBTEM HF had significantly higher mortality rates than those without HF. FIBTEM be a valuable diagnostic method to improve HF detection’s sensitivity in trauma patients.

Introduction. This study aimed to establish a predictive model that includes physiological parameters and identify independent risk factors for severe injuries in bicycle rider accidents. Methods. This was a multicenter observational study. For four years, we included patients with bicycle rider injuries in the Emergency Department-Based Injury In-depth Surveillance database. In this study, we regarded ICD admission or in-hospital mortality as parameters of severe trauma. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess risk factors for severe trauma. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to evaluate the performance of the regression model. Results. This study included 19,842 patients, of whom 1,202 (6.05%) had severe trauma. In multivariate regression analysis, male sex, older age, alcohol use, motor vehicle opponent, load state (general and crosswalk), blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and Glasgow Coma Scale were the independent factors for predicting severe trauma. In the ROC analysis, the area under the ROC curve for predicting severe trauma was 0.848 (95% confidence interval: 0.830–0.867). Conclusion. We identified independent risk factors for severe trauma in bicycle rider accidents and believe that physiologic parameters contribute to enhancing prediction ability.

In South Korea, Public Health Disaster Response Team (PHDRT) has been organized by every Community Health Center since 2016. When a disaster or accident with heavy casualties is expected to occur, PHDRT is dispatched. This study shed light on the role of PHDRT within the Korean National Disaster Response System by analyzing the related law and regulations, their activities, and interviews with disaster medical professionals. PHDRT is the part of the national disaster management system in Korea, organized under the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety. As of 2018, there was a total of 468 teams and 2,557 members, mostly consisting of physicians, nurses and administrators. The roles of PHDRT in disaster medical response include early triage, medical resource planning, patient transportation, support of on-site emergency care, and media relations and communications. To facilitate the activities of PHDRT, their roles need to be well defined and supported by legal and institutional frameworks, along with individual and organizational efforts to strengthen capacity.

Purpose: No previous study has assessed elderly pedestrian traffic accidents based on a nationwide database. This study aimed to help primary physicians who examine patients in emergency departments to determine and make prompt and accurate treatment decisions. Methods: This study used data from the Emergency Department-based Injury Indepth Surveillance from 2013 to 2017, managed by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pedestrians aged ≥65 years were included, and using multivariate logistic regression multiple factors were analyzed to determine their relationship with injury severity. Results: Of 227,695 subjects, 6,498 were included, of whom 2,065 (31.8%) were severely injured. There were more female than male patients in all severity groups. Most accidents occurred in the afternoon and on general roads. In the multivariate analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of injury severity for male pedestrians was 1.165 (95% confidence interval: 1.034-1.313, p=0.012). Older age of patients and the use of ambulances were associated with greater injury severity. The accident time affected the degree of injury severity; i.e., compared to dawn, injury severity increased in the morning (OR: 1.246, p=0.047) and decreased at night (OR: 0.678, p

Emergency room processes are often exposed to the risk of unexpected factors, and process management based on performance measurements is required due to its connectivity to the quality of care. Regarding this, there have been several attempts to propose a method to analyze the emergency room processes. This paper proposes a framework for process performance indicators utilized in emergency rooms. Based on the devil&rsquo, s quadrangle, i.e., time, cost, quality, and flexibility, the paper suggests multiple process performance indicators that can be analyzed using clinical event logs and verify them with a thorough discussion with clinical experts in the emergency department. A case study is conducted with the real-life clinical data collected from a tertiary hospital in Korea to validate the proposed method. The case study demonstrated that the proposed indicators are well applied using the clinical data, and the framework is capable of understanding emergency room processes&rsquo, performance.

Background: While transarterial embolization (TAE) is an effective way to control arterial bleeding associated with pelvic fracture, the clinical outcomes according to door-to-embolization (DTE) time are unclear. This study investigated how DTE time affects outcomes in patients with severe pelvic fracture.Methods: Using a trauma database between November 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019, trauma patients undergoing TAE were retrospectively reviewed. The final study population included 204 patients treated with TAE. The relationships between DTE time and patients’ outcomes were evaluated. Multivariate binomial logistic regression analyses, multivariate linear regression analyses, and multivariate Cox hazard proportional regression analyses were performed to estimate the impacts of DTE time on clinical outcomes.Results: The median DTE time was 150 min (interquartile range, 123–186). The mortality rates at 7 and 28 days and overall were 8.3%, 13.7%, and 15.7%, respectively. DTE time served as an independent risk factor for mortality at 7 and 28 days (adjusted odds ratio = 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.14–2.30, p = 0.007; adjusted odds ratio = 1.48, CI = 1.05–2.07, p = 0.023, respectively). In multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratio of DTE time for mortality at 28 days was 1.28 (CI = 1.08–1.30, p = 0.005). In addition, there was a positive relationship between DTE time and requirement for packed red blood cell transfusion during the initial 24 h and a negative relationship between DTE time and ICU-free days to day 28.Conclusions: Shorter DTE time was associated with better survival at 7 and 28 days, as well as other clinical outcomes, in patients with severe pelvic fracture who underwent TAE. Efforts to minimize DTE time are recommended to improve the clinical outcomes in patients with pelvic fracture treated with TAE.

Introduction Transarterial embolisation (TAE) is an effective intervention for management of arterial haemorrhage associated with pelvic fracture. However, its effects on survival and clinical outcomes are unclear. Methods Trauma patients with survival data between November 2015 and December 2019 were identified using a trauma database. Patients were divided between TAE and non-TAE groups, and a propensity score was developed using multivariate logistic regression. Survival at 28 days was compared between the groups after propensity score matching. Results Among 881 patients included in this study, 308 (35.0%) were treated with TAE. After propensity score matching, 130 pairs were selected. Survival at 28 days was significantly higher among patients treated with TAE than among those treated without TAE [122 (93.9%) vs. 112 (86.2%); odds ratio = 2.45; 95% CI 1.02–5.86; p = 0.039]. Conclusions TAE use was associated with improved survival at 28 days in patients with pelvic fracture and should therefore be considered in the management of severely injured patients with pelvic fracture.

Introduction: Chlorfenapyr is a pyrrole-based pro-insecticide. The main activity of this agent is the inhibition of adenosine triphosphate synthesis, and it is used in agriculture to control several insects and mites resistant to carbamate, organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticide. The World Health Organization classifies this agent as a class II toxin (moderately hazardous). Case presentation: All previously reported cases of chlorfenapyr poisoning in humans occurred following oral ingestion except one case involving exposure to chlorfenapyr vapour. Discussion: In this report, we describe a case of chlorfenapyr intoxication after skin exposure in a 49-year-old patient who died 5 days after exposure. Conclusion: This case demonstrates that similar to oral ingestion, dermal absorption of chlorfenapyr may also be fatal.

A cecal bascule is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction, and the diagnosis is often challenging because the symptoms and signs are similar to those of small bowel obstruction. We, herein, present the case of an 82-year-old female who presented to our emergency department with lower abdominal pain. Computed tomography showed anterior medial folding of the cecum over the ascending colon with cecal dilatation, without bowel ischemia or perforation. A good outcome was obtained immediately after supportive care. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a cecal bascule that was improved by supportive care.

Background The 5-level triage tool, the Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS), was developed based on the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale and has been used for triage in all emergency medical institutions in Korea since 2016. This study evaluated the association between the decrease in level number and the change in its relative importance for disposition in the emergency department (ED). Methods Using the registry of the National Emergency Department Information System (NEDIS) ver. 3.1, data regarding consecutive emergency patients from March 2017 to October 2017 were reviewed retrospectively. Reconfiguring KTAS levels, a total of 15 multinomial logistic regression models (KTAS_0 to KTAS_14), including the KTAS, its variants, and covariates were constructed to determine significant factors affecting ED disposition. The relative importance of each model was obtained using a dominance analysis. Results A total of 79,771 patients were included in the analysis. In the model KTAS_0, the KTAS and 8 covariates were found to be significantly related to ED disposition. The KTAS and the decision maker of each ED visit, whether it was the physician or others, had the largest relative importance, 34.8% and 31.4%, respectively (P < 0.001). In other models of KTAS variants, including 4-level, 3-level and 2-level, the rates of the KTAS decreased to 31.8% (interquartile range [IQR], 28.9–34.2), 26.4% (IQR, 23.2–31.0), and 18.7% (IQR, 7.5–24.9), respectively (P = 0.016). On the other hand, the rates for covariates tended to be larger for smaller triage levels and so there was a significant interaction effect between the KTAS and the covariates according to the triage level (P < 0.001). Conclusion The 5-level triage tool, the KTAS, had the largest relative importance among the predictors affecting ED disposition only at its original level. Therefore, it is recommended that no attempt should be made to reduce the number of levels in the triage tool., Graphical Abstract

Purpose We aimed to examine the utility of the Poison Severity Score (PSS) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score as early prognostic predictors of short-term outcomes in patients with carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. We hypothesized that both the PSS and the SOFA score would be useful prognostic tools. Methods This was retrospective observational study of patients with CO poisoning who presented to the emergency department and were admitted for more than 24 hours. We calculated PSS, the initial SOFA score, a second (2nd) SOFA score, and a 24-hour delta SOFA score. The primary outcome was reported as the cerebral performance category (CPC) scale score at discharge. We classified those with CPC 1–2 as the good outcome group and those with CPC 3–5 as the poor outcome group. Results This study included 192 patients: 174 (90.6%) belonged to the good outcome group, whereas 18 (9.4%) belonged to the poor outcome group. The PSS (1.00 [0.00, 1.00] vs 3.00 [3.00, 3.00], p < 0.001), initial SOFA (1.00 [0.00, 2.00] vs 4.00 [3.25, 6.00], p < 0.001), 2nd SOFA score (0.00 [0.00, 1.00] vs 4.00 [3.00, 7.00], p < 0.001), and 24-hour delta SOFA score (-1.00 [-1.00, 0.00] vs 0.00 [-1.00, 1.00], p = 0.047) of the good outcome group were significantly higher than those of the poor outcome group. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for PSS and the initial SOFA and 2nd SOFA scores were 0.977 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.944–0.993), 0.945 (95% CI 0.903–0.973), and 0.978 (95% CI 0.947–0.994), respectively. Conclusion The PSS, initial SOFA score, and 2nd SOFA score predict acute poor outcome accurately in patients with CO poisoning.

Background The effect of alcohol on the outcome and fibrinolysis phenotype in trauma patients remains unclear. Hence, we performed this study to determine whether alcohol is a risk factor for mortality and fibrinolysis shutdown in trauma patients. Materials and methods A total of 686 patients who presented to our trauma center and underwent rotational thromboelastometry were included in the study. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether alcohol was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality and fibrinolysis shutdown. Results The rate of in-hospital mortality was 13.8% and blood alcohol was detected in 27.7% of the patients among our study population. The patients in the alcohol-positive group had higher mortality rate, higher clotting time, and lower maximum lysis, more fibrinolysis shutdown, and hyperfibrinolysis than those in the alcohol-negative group. In logistic regression analysis, blood alcohol was independently associated with in-hospital mortality (odds ratio [OR] 2.578; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.550–4.288) and fibrinolysis shutdown (OR 1.883 [95% CI, 1.286–2.758]). Within the fibrinolysis shutdown group, blood alcohol was an independent predictor of mortality (OR 2.168 [95% CI, 1.030–4.562]). Conclusions Alcohol is an independent risk factor for mortality and fibrinolysis shutdown in trauma patients. Further, alcohol is an independent risk factor for mortality among patients who experienced fibrinolysis shutdown.

Objectives Despite the low diagnostic yield of echocardiogra0, it is often used in the evaluation of syncope. This study determined whether patients without abnormalities in the initial evaluation benefit from transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) and the clinical factors predicting an abnormal TTE. Methods This study enrolled 241 patients presenting to the emergency department with syncope. The TTE results were analyzed based on risk factors suggesting cardiogenic syncope in the initial evaluation. Results Of the 115 patients with at least one risk factor, 97 underwent TTE and 27 (27.8%) had TTE abnormalities. In comparison, of the 126 patients without risk factors, 47 underwent TTE and only 1 (2.1%) had TTE abnormalities. Significantly different factors between patients with normal and abnormal TTE findings were entered in a multiple logistic regression analysis, which yielded age [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.09; 95% CI, 1.02–1.15; p =0.006], an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) (aOR, 7.44; 95% CI, 1.77–31.26; p =0.010), and a brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level of >100pg/mL (aOR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.21–5.73; p =0.011) as independent predictors of TTE abnormalities. The cutoff value of age predicting an abnormal TTE was 59.0years (area under the curve, 0.777; p Conclusion A patient who is older than 59years or has an abnormal ECG or an elevated BNP level may benefit from TTE. Otherwise, TTE should be deferred in patients with no risk factors in the initial evaluation.

Background Methylene blue is the first-line therapy for methemoglobinemia, but it can be intermittently unavailable due to production issues. For this clinical scenario, alternative treatment options need to be explored. Hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) is conventionally applied as an adjunctive therapy during the systemic administration of methylene blue. Currently, little is known regarding the effects of HBO monotherapy in methemoglobinemia. We report a case of methemoglobinemia that was successfully treated with HBO monotherapy. Case Report A 41-year-old man presented to the Emergency Department with dyspnea and dizziness subsequent to smoking in a garage filled with motor vehicle exhaust gas. There were no abnormal heart or lung sounds. While administering oxygen flowing at 15 L/min via a mask with a reservoir bag, blood tests revealed high methemoglobin (MetHb) levels at 59.6%. He was treated with HBO monotherapy, and sequential tests showed that the MetHb level decreased significantly to 34.0%, 12.8%, 6.2%, and eventually, 3.5%. He was discharged with stable vital signs the next day. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This? HBO monotherapy is an effective alternative treatment for methemoglobinemia when methylene blue is not available.

Background: Hemorrhage is the major cause of traumatic death and the leading cause of preventable death. Hyperfibrinolysis is associated with trauma severity. Viscoelastic hemostatic assays show complete clot formation dynamics. The present study was designed to identify the relationship between hyperfibrinolysis and mortality, metabolic acidosis, and coagulopathy in patients with trauma. Methods: Patients with severe trauma (injury severity score [ISS] of 15 or higher) who were assessed using rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) were included in the present study from January 2017 to December 2017. Variables were obtained from the Korea Trauma Database or the medical charts of the patients. To identify whether hyperfibrinolysis is an independent predictor of mortality, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed. Results: During the 1-year study period, 190 patients were enrolled. In total, 21 (11.1%) had hyperfibrinolysis according to the ROTEM analysis and 46 (24.2%) died. Patients with hyperfibrinolysis had a higher ISS (P=0.014) and mortality rate (P

Predisposing factors for venous thrombosis can be identified in the majority of patients with established venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, an obvious precipitant may not be identified during the initial evaluation of such patients. In the present case, a 47-year-old female presented to the emergency department of our hospital after ingesting multiple drugs. She had no VTE-related risk factors or previous episodes, nor any family history of VTE. After admission to the intensive care unit sudden hypoxemia developed, and during the evaluation cerebral, renal, and splenic infarctions with pulmonary embolisms were diagnosed. However, the sources of the emboli could not be identified by transthoracic echocardiography or computed tomography angiography. Protein C deficiency was identified several days later. We recommend that hypercoagulable states be taken into consideration, especially when unexplained thromboembolic events develop in multiple or unusual venous sites.

Background: Cardiac enzymes such as creatine kinase-MB, troponin I, and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are thought to be useful prognostic factors in patients with acute ischemic stroke. This study investigated the efficacy of cardiac biomarkers as prognostic factors. Methods: We reviewed patients with acute ischemic stroke whose cardiac biomarkers had been measured and who were admitted to our hospital between January 2012 and December 2013. The cardiac biomarkers were measured within 24 hours after admission to the emergency room. We evaluated the clinical characteristics and compared the outcomes of the patients based on their cardiac biomarkers. Results: The following cardiac biomarkers were measured in 219 patients with acute ischemic stroke: creatine kinase-MB (n=218), troponin I (n=219), and BNP (n=143). Statistically significant differences were observed in older age (68.77±12.42 vs. 74.59±6.68, p

OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate the factors influencing treatment option selection among urologists for patients with ureteral stones, according to the stone diameter and location. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of 360 consecutive patients who, between January 2009 and June 2014, presented to the emergency department with renal colic and were eventually diagnosed with urinary stones via computed tomography. The maximal horizontal and longitudinal diameter and location of the stones were investigated. We compared parameters between patients who received urological intervention (group 1) and those who received medical treatment (group 2). RESULTS Among the 360 patients, 179 (49.7%) had stones in the upper ureter and 181 (50.3%) had stones in the lower ureter. Urologic intervention was frequently performed in cases of upper ureteral stones (P

Pneumothorax can cause a variety of electrocardiographic changes. ST segment elevation, which is mainly observed in myocardial infarction, can also be induced by pneumothorax. The mechanism is presumed to be a decrease in cardiac output, due to increased intra-thoracic pressure. We encountered a patient with ST segment elevation with minimal pneumothorax. Coronary angiography with ergonovine provocation test and echocardiogram had normal findings. The ST segment elevation was normalized by decreasing the amount of pneumothorax. We reviewed the literature and present possible mechanisms for this condition.

Flufenoxuron is an insect growth regulator which inhibits chitin (exoskeleton) biosynthesis in insect's body. Not much is known about its toxicity to human. This report describes three patients who developed worsening lactic acidosis and hypotension after ingestion of flufenoxuron-containing materials. Two of the three patients received continuous renal replacement therapy and survived. (Hong Kong j.emerg.med. 2014;21:181-184)

Predicting long-term outcomes after sepsis is important when caring for patients with this condition. The purpose of the present study was to develop models predicting long-term mortality of patients with sepsis, including septic shock.Retrospective data from 446 patients with sepsis (60.8% men; median age, 71 years) treated at a single university-affiliated tertiary care hospital over 3 years were reviewed. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors predicting mortality at 180 and 365 days after arrival at the emergency department. Long-term prognosis scores for the 180- and 365-day models were calculated by assigning points to variables according to their β coefficients.The 180- and 365-day mortality rates were 40.6% and 47.8%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified the following factors for inclusion in the 180- and 365-day models: age ≥65 years, body mass index ≤18.5 kg/m, hemato-oncologic diseases as comorbidities, and ventilator care. Patients with scores of 0 to ≥3 had 180-day survival rates of 83.8%, 70.8%, 42.3%, and 25.0%, respectively, and 365-day survival rates of 72.1%, 64.6%, 36.2%, and 15.9%, respectively (all differences P < .001; log-rank test). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the 180- and 365-day models were 0.713 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.668-0.756, P < .001) and 0.697 (95% CI 0.650-0.740, P < .001), respectively.These long-term prognosis models based on baseline patient characteristics and treatments are useful for predicting the 6- and 12-month mortality rates of patients with sepsis.

Objectives The hydraulic height control systems of hospital beds provide convenience and shock absorption. However, movements in a hydraulic bed may reduce the effectiveness of chest compressions. This study investigated the effects of hydraulic bed movement on chest compressions. Materials and methods Twenty-eight participants were recruited for this study. All participants performed chest compressions for 2 min on a manikin and three surfaces: the floor (Day 1), a firm plywood bed (Day 2), and a hydraulic bed (Day 3). We considered 28 participants of Day 1 as control and each 28 participants of Day 2 and Day 3 as study subjects. The compression rates, depths, and good compression ratios (> 5-cm compressions/all compressions) were compared between the three surfaces. Results When we compared the three surfaces, we did not detect a significant difference in the speed of chest compressions (p = 0.582). However, significantly lower values were observed on the hydraulic bed in terms of compression depth (p = 0.001) and the good compression ratio (p = 0.003) compared to floor compressions. When we compared the plywood and hydraulic beds, we did not detect significant differences in compression depth (p = 0.351) and the good compression ratio (p = 0.391). Conclusions These results indicate that the movements in our hydraulic bed were associated with a non-statistically significant trend towards lower-quality chest compressions.

Objective To assess whether ultrasonographic examination compared to chest radiography (CXR) is effective for evaluating complications after central venous catheterization. Methods We performed a prospective observational study. Immediately after central venous catheter insertion, we asked the radiologic department to perform a portable CXR scan. A junior and senior medical resident each performed ultrasonographic evaluation of the position of the catheter tip and complications such as pneumothorax and pleural effusion (hemothorax). We estimated the time required for ultrasound (US) and CXR. Results Compared to CXR, US could equivalently identify the catheter tip in the internal jugular or subclavian veins (P=1.000). Compared with CXR, US examinations conducted by junior residents could equivalently evaluate pneumothorax (P=1.000), while US examinations conducted by senior residents could also equivalently evaluate pneumothorax (P=0.557) and pleural effusion (P=0.337). The required time for US was shorter than that for CXR (Pl0.001). Conclusion Compared to CXR, US could equivalently and more quickly identify complications such as pneumothorax or pleural effusion.