- The Epidemiology of Bicycle Injury in Korea: Patients Who Visited 55 Emergency Rooms
-
Bo In Kim, Jin Hee Jung, Koo Young Jung
-
J Korean Soc Traumatol. 2009;22(2):128-133.
-
-
-
 Abstract
 PDF
- PURPOSE
Bicycle riding is a healthy and cheap form of transportation and a popular form of recreation. This study aims to evaluate the epidemiology and the factors affecting the severity of bicycle-related injuries and to find effective methods for preventing injuries.
METHODS
This is a retrospective study of the patients' characteristics, the injury severity, the injury location, the effect of safety equipment on the bicycle injury based on information collected through the NEDIS (National Emergency Department Information System) from 1,284,429 patients who visited 55 emergency rooms nationwide.
RESULTS
During the research period throughout 55 emergency rooms 5,671 patients were seen because of bicycle injuries. The male-to-female ratio was 3.1:1, the median age 28 years old, and 42.6% of the patients were younger than 20 years old. Injury sites were mostly in the extremities(46.7%), the head(32.4%), and the face(14%), and 70.3% of severely injured patients had accompanying head trauma. Males aged 65 and older was possibly associated with severe head trauma. Of the patients who provided helmet information 4.8%(71 patients) used helmets, and 95.2%(1392 patients) did not. In this group of patients providing helmet information, none of those wearing helmets died, but 0.4% of those not wearing helmets died.
CONCLUSION
In this study, most bicycle injuries occurred in young adult men. From now, there seems to be a need for more effort on publicity activities on bicycle injuries and on the education of children and teenagers, who show a high incidence rate, and of senior citizens (over 65 years old) who show a high severity rate, about using a safety helmet to reduce the severity of injury.
-
Summary
- Rational Use of Antimicrobial Agents in Traumatic Simple Wounds
-
Jae Eun Kim, Joo Hyun Suh, Yoon Hee Choi, Hyun A Bae, Jin Hee Jung, Eun Kyung Eo, Young Jin Cheon, Koo Young Jung
-
J Korean Soc Traumatol. 2007;20(1):40-46.
-
-
-
Abstract
PDF
- PURPOSE
The primary goal of wound management is to avoid infection. Wounds in all patients presenting to the Emergency Department are contaminated with bacteria. Despite this, there is a low incidence of infection. Unfortunately, physicians continue to use antimicrobial agents indiscriminately. The authors intended to determine the effect of selective antimicrobial agents and the indications for appropriate antimicrobial agent use in traumatic simple wounds.
METHODS
This prospective study was performed from Jul. 2005 to Aug. 2005. A pilot study had been performed from Nov. 2003 to Jul. 2004 at the Ewha Woman's University Mokdong Hospital. Structured data sheets were completed at the times of the patient's visits to the Emergency Department and to the Outpatient Department for follow-up. Infection was determined at the time of follow-up. The indications of antimicrobial agent use are immunocompromised patients, wounds contaminated for 3 hours or longer, devitalized tissue, and extremity wounds except hand wounds caused by sharp objects.
RESULTS
The study enrolled 216 injured patients. The general characteristics of patients and wounds between the two groups were not significantly different. The antimicrobial agent use and infection rate of the pilot study were 227 cases (90.4%) and 10 cases (4.0%), and those of this study were 100 cases (46.3%) and 9 cases (4.1%). In this study, antibiotic use was reduced to almost half compared with the previous study, but the infection rate was similar (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Rational use of antimicrobial agents in simple wounds reduced the use of antimicrobial agents in the Emergency Department without increasing the infection rate.
-
Summary
|
KST
