Objective The number and distribution of isolation rooms in Korea differ by region. The distribution of isolation beds in emergency departments may have affected ambulance travel time and burden on emergency medical service (EMS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods This retrospective observational study analyzed EMS records in four regions of the Gyeonggi Province, Korea, from January 01, 2019 to December 31, 2020. The main exposure was the number of emergency department isolation rooms in each region. The primary outcome was call-to-return time for the EMS. The interaction effect of the number of regional isolation rooms on the call-to-return time during the COVID-19 pandemic was analyzed using a generalized linear model (GLM) and logistic regression.Results A total of 781,246 cases was included in the analyses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the call-to-scene time (before 8 minutes vs. after 9 minutes, P<0.05) and call-to-return time (before 46 minutes vs. after 52 minutes, P<0.05) for emergency patients increased significantly compared to before the pandemic. As the number of regional isolation rooms increased, the effect of COVID-19 on the call-to-return time decreased significantly in the multivariable GLM with an interaction term (with 10.14 isolation rooms per million population: adjusted exponential β coefficient [exp(β)], 1.33; with 12.24 isolation rooms per million population: adjusted exp(β), 1.18). As the number of regional isolation rooms increased, the effect of COVID-19 on the call-to-scene time decreased significantly in the multivariable GLM with an interaction term (with 10.14 isolation rooms per million population: adjusted exp(β), 1.20; with 12.24 isolation rooms per million population: adjusted exp(β), 1.09).Conclusion During the pandemic, the increases in call-to-return time and call-to-scene time were smaller in regions with more isolation rooms per population.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has garnered significant attention as a therapeutic modality with potential benefits across a variety of medical conditions, ranging from wound healing and ischemic conditions to neurologic disorders and radiation-induced tissue damage. HBOT involves the administration of 100% oxygen at higher-than-atmospheric pressures, which increases the amount of oxygen dissolved in body fluids and tissues. Those elevated oxygen levels are proposed to facilitate tissue repair, reduce inflammation, and promote angiogenesis. This case report presents a compelling instance of the usefulness of HBOT in promoting skin perfusion and healing following peripheral tissue injury caused by administration of inotropic and vasopressor agents to a septic shock patient.

Background: Research investigating the optimal compression position for load-distributing bands (LDBs) in treating cardiac arrest is limited This study aimed to determine the optimal LDB position based on body mass index (BMI). Methods: A simulation study was conducted using chest and abdominal computed tomography imaging data collected with patients in the arms-down position. Participants were categorized into three BMI groups: low (<18.5 kg/m²), normal (18.5–25 kg/m²), and high (≥25 kg/m²). The assumed compression area was 20 cm below the axilla. The optimal compression position was identified by adjusting the axilla to maximize the thorax-to-abdomen volume ratio (TAR) and the covered heart volume ratio (CHR), defined as the ratio of heart volume compressed by the LDB to total heart volume. Optimal compression positions were compared across BMI groups. Results: Among 117 patients, TAR was significantly lower in the low BMI group compared to the normal and high BMI groups (p < 0.001), while CHR differences were not significant (p = 0.011). The distance between the optimal position and axilla height was significantly greater in the normal and high BMI groups than in the low BMI group (46.5 cm vs. 66.0 cm vs. 72 cm, respectively; p < 0.001). For each unit increase in BMI, the optimal position shifted significantly cephalad relative to axilla height (β coefficient 2.39, adjusted p < 0.001). Conclusions: Significant differences in TAR were observed among BMI groups. As BMI increased, the optimal LDB position shifted progressively cephalad.