J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2009 Jun;20(3):245-255.

Epidemiology of Patients Using the Resuscitation Room in an Emergency Department

• Kim IS
• Shin SD
• Choi HK
• Yu JS
• Shin SH
• Lee JY
• Kim JW
• Kim DK
• Ro YS
• Jung SK

Abstract

PURPOSE
The resuscitation room is the hub of intensive care and focused management within the emergency department (ED). For patients with life-threatening conditions, immediate triage and proper treatment using the resuscitation room is important. This study was conducted to assess the epidemiology of patients using the resuscitation room in an emergency department.
METHODS
This was a retrospective observational study. Eligible subjects were enrolled through the National Emergency Department Information System from July 2007 to September 2008. All subjects came through a single regional emergency center that logs more than 45,000 patients annually. Pediatric patients less than 15 years of age and those who were dead on arrival at the ED were excluded. The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) version IV was used as a triage tool, and characteristics and ESI levels of patients using or not using resuscitation rooms were compared.
RESULTS
The total number of eligible subjects was 40,926 and the male-female ratio was 1:0.92. The numbers of patients using the resuscitation room was 1,050 (2.99%). Patients using the resuscitation room were older than the patients not using the resuscitation room, were more likely to have used an ambulance to visit the ED, and had a higher mortality rate and a higher admission rate. A majority of staff members had the authority to put patients in the resuscitation room. Among them were professors 18.19%, emergency residents 11.43%, certified emergency nurses 40.57%, emergency nurses 19.43%, emergency medical technicians 2.86%, and paramedics 6.19%. Critical care was done in the resuscitation room for cardiopulmonary resuscitation 11.66%, intubation 26.33%, ventilation 1.71%, defibrillation 5.73%, and other 54.57%. The most frequent ESI levels of patients using the resuscitation room was 1 (57.89%); an ESI score of 3 (72.01%) was the most frequent value for patients not using the resuscitation room.
CONCLUSION
Patient using the resuscitation room were older, more likely to have used an ambulance, and had a higher mortality rate, admission rate and ESI level.

Keyword

Severity of illness index; Emergencies; Resuscitation; Critical care

MeSH Terms

Allied Health Personnel
Ambulances
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Critical Care
Emergencies
Emergency Medical Technicians
Humans
Information Systems
Critical Care
Intubation
Porphyrins
Resuscitation
Retrospective Studies
Severity of Illness Index
Triage
Ventilation
Porphyrins