Analysis of Expired Patients in the Emergency Room

Ko, Pil Seong; Cho, Suck Ju

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The prehospital care system in the Pusan area is primitive in organization, and the emergency medical system of every hospital needs to be developed. A analysis of patients who were treated in emergency rooms and who died is necessary in order to establish an emergency medical service system which is appropriate for the community. METHOD: The authors reviewed the records of 117 patients who died in the emergency room of Pusan National University Hospital from January 1998 to December 1998.
RESULTS
1) Among the 117 patients, 68 patients were male (58.1%) and 49 patients were female (41.9%). The incidence of patients over the age of 70 was very high (33 cases, 28.2%). 2) Among the 117 patients, 99 patients died due to disease (84.6%), 16 due to trauma, and 2 due to intoxication. The most prevalent disease was cardiovascular disease. 3) Among the 117 patients, 63 patients arrived voluntarily (53.8%); the remainder were transferred from other hospitals. Forty-eight patients were transported by 119 ambulance (41.0%), and 41 patients were transported by hospital ambulance. 4) As for consciousness level, 52 patients (44.4%) were alert upon arrival at the emergency room, but 42 patients (35.9%) were unresponsive. 5) In 53 patients, the intervals between arrival at the emergency room and the onset of cardiac arrest were from 2 to 24 hours (45.3%). 6) Cardiac arrest was most frequent between 10:00 pm and 8:00 am. 7) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was done in 74 patients (63.2%), and the mean duration was from 30 minutes to 1 hour. 8) Sixty-six patients were patients of internal medicine, and their mean stay time was 17 hours 27 minutes.
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that systematic education in advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation, expansion of emergency physicians, an increase in the number of intensive care units are required.