Yeungnam Univ J Med.  2002 Dec;19(2):92-98. 10.12701/yujm.2002.19.2.92.

What is Emergency Medicine and Its Agenda for Future

• Do BS
• Lee SB

• KMID: 1969361
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12701/yujm.2002.19.2.92

Abstract

Emergency medicine(EM) is the specialty of evaluating, stabilizing and initiating treatment for patients with life or limb-threatening illnesses or injuries. Techniques unique to the specialty of EM are the triage systems, quick stabilization methods, and emergency surgery procedures. The field of EM encompasses areas such as emergency department management, disaster planning and management, the management of emergency medical service(EMS) systems, research into such areas as brain and heart resuscitation, trauma and disaster management, survival medicine, and environmental emergencies(cold and heat injuries, poisioning, decompression sickness and barotrauma). Today, in addition to providing emergency care, the emergency specialists have moral and legal obligations to assess and report probable cases of child and spouse abuse, sexual assault, and alcohol and drug abuse. Future, the EM should provide surveillance, identification, intervention, and evaluation of injury and disease, therefore EM will remain as a key component of evolving community health care system.

Keyword

Emergency Medicine

MeSH Terms

Brain
Child
Community Health Services
Decompression Sickness
Disaster Planning
Disasters
Emergencies*
Emergency Medical Services
Emergency Medicine*
Emergency Service, Hospital
Heart
Hot Temperature
Humans
Jurisprudence
Resuscitation
Specialization
Spouse Abuse
Substance-Related Disorders
Triage