Characteristics of Emergency Medical Service Provider Responded Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Incidents: Pilot Analysis of National Emergency Medical Service Rescue Records

Park, Jeong Ho; Park, Ju OK; Jeong, Joo; Hong, Ki Jeong; Kim, Tae Han; Song, Sung Wook; Kim, Chu Hyun; Shin, Sang Do

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 27(3); 2016 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2016;27(3): 260-271.

119 구조대 대응 화학, 생물학, 방사선 및 핵물질 사고의 역학적 특성: 구조활동일지 기반 시범 분석

박정호^1,2, 박주옥^1,3,*, 정주^1,4, 홍기정^1,5, 김태한^1,4, 송성욱^1,5, 김주현^1,6, 신상도^1,4

¹서울대학교 의생명연구원 응급의료연구실
²분당서울대학교병원 응급의학과
³한림대학교 동탄성심병원 응급의학과
⁴서울대학교병원 응급의학과
⁵서울대학교 보라매병원 응급의학과
⁶제주대학교병원 응급의학과
⁷인제대학교 서울 백병원 응급의학과

Characteristics of Emergency Medical Service Provider Responded Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Incidents: Pilot Analysis of National Emergency Medical Service Rescue Records

Jeong Ho Park^1,2, Ju OK Park^1,3,*, Joo Jeong^1,4, Ki Jeong Hong^1,5, Tae Han Kim^1,4, Sung Wook Song^1,5, Chu Hyun Kim^1,6, Sang Do Shin^1,4

¹Laboratory of Emergency Medical Service, Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea
³Department of Emergency Medicine, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Dongtan, Korea
⁴Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
⁵Department of Emergency Medicine, Seoul National University Boramae Hospital, Seoul, Korea
⁶Department of Emergency Medicine, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, Korea
⁷Department of Emergency Medicine, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence

Ju OK Park ,Tel: 031) 8086-2929, Fax: 031) 8086-2029, Email: erdohh@naver.com,

Received: March 31, 2016; Revised: April 1, 2016 Accepted: April 25, 2016. Published online: June 30, 2016.

ABSTRACT

Purpose:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of Emergency Medical Service (EMS) provider responded chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents in Korea.
Method:
Nationwide EMS rescue records from Jan 2012 to Dec 2014 were analyzed. All EMS rescue records were integrated according to the unique accident ID. Cases related to animal rescue, hive removal, and suicide-related were excluded. CBRN-associated keywords were extracted by literature review and pilot survey. In-depth review of cases containing CBRN-associated keywords in the activity summary were conducted by trained emergency medical technicians, and predefined information was abstracted. Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize the EMS provider responded CBRN incidents.
Results:
A total of 1,571,293 cases were included, and 1,335,205 cases had a unique accident ID; 515,417 cases were excluded because of their association with animal rescue, hive removal, and suicide attempts; 19,663 cases contained CBRN-associated keywords in the activity summary, and in-depth review identified 1,862 cases as CBRN incidents. Among them 1,856 cases were chemical incidents, and 6 cases were radiological incidents; 144 cases were resulted to victims. In chemical incidents, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, sulfuric acid, hydrogen fluoride, and nitric acid were the top 5 toxic substances. In chemical incidents with victims, the proportion of explosion/implosion, and suffocation in sealed space was more prevalent than chemical incidents without victims. Median scene time of all CBRN incidents was 41 minutes (interquartile range 18.0-57.0).
Conclusion:
We evaluated the characteristics of CBRN incidents responded by EMS in Korea.

Key words: Biohazard release, Chemical hazard release, Emergency medical services, Radioactive hazard release