Acute and Critical Care

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Original Articles

CPR/Resuscitation
Prognostic value of initial hemoglobin levels for neurological outcomes in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in South Korea: Jihun Keum, Kyung Hun Yoo, Yongil Cho, Tae Ho Lim, Hyunggoo Kang, Jaehoon Oh, Byuk Sung Ko, Juncheol Lee; Received October 21, 2025 Accepted March 2, 2026 Published online May 19, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.005075 [Epub ahead of print]

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Background
Previous studies suggest that lower hemoglobin (Hb) levels are associated with adverse outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, most of these were limited by small sample sizes and single-center designs. We aimed to evaluate the association between initial Hb levels and clinical outcomes after OHCA using a large multicenter registry.
Methods
This retrospective observational study analyzed prospectively collected multicenter registry data. Hb levels measured at emergency department arrival were analyzed as continuous variables with restricted cubic spline (RCS) models, which flexibly characterize dose–response relationships with unfavorable neurological outcomes and in-hospital mortality. Generalized estimating equations with a logit link were used to account for within-hospital clustering and to adjust for clinically relevant covariates.
Results
Lower Hb levels were independently associated with higher adjusted odds of unfavorable neurological outcomes and in-hospital mortality. RCS analyses showed a statistically significant overall association between Hb levels and both outcomes after multivariable adjustment (overall P<0.001). The adjusted odds of adverse outcomes increased progressively with decreasing Hb levels. Cluster-adjusted analyses using generalized estimating equations yielded consistent results.
Conclusions
Initial Hb levels were independently associated with neurological outcomes and in-hospital mortality after OHCA. Modeling Hb as a continuous variable showed a graded association across the Hb spectrum. These findings highlight the prognostic relevance of baseline Hb levels.

Infection
Early prognostication of septic shock in Korean adults aged 80 years and over: serum albumin combined with Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score: Sang-Min Kim, Seung Mok Ryoo, Woon Yong Kwon, Kyuseok Kim, Tae Ho Lim, Sung Pil Chung, Sung-Hyuk Choi, Won Young Kim; Acute Crit Care. 2026;41(2):304-314. Published online May 11, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.005625

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material: Background
Septic shock requires careful risk stratification in patients aged 80 and over. Serum albumin levels reflect host status and, when combined with the severity of organ dysfunction, may enhance early prognostication. Here, we evaluated whether combining albumin levels with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score upon emergency department (ED) arrival can improve risk classification. Methods: We conducted an observational study from October 2015 to May 2022 using a prospective multicenter registry of septic shock from 12 EDs in the Korean Shock Society. We included 1,300 (18.8%) patients with septic shock aged ≥80 years. The SOFA score was calculated in the ED at the time of septic shock recognition. Patients were divided into three groups according to albumin levels (cutoff, 3.5 g/dl) and the initial SOFA score (cutoff, 7): A, normal albumin with low SOFA score; B, high SOFA with normal albumin or low SOFA with low albumin; and C, low albumin with high SOFA score. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality. Results: Groups A, B, and C included 175, 592, and 533 patients, with 28-day mortality rates of 12.0%, 26.9%, and 49.3%, respectively. Adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) for mortality were 3.02 (1.76–5.18) for group B and 5.80 (3.38–9.97) for group C vs. group A. Conclusions: Combining the SOFA score with the albumin level allows early classification of patients aged ≥80 years with septic shock in the ED, facilitating treatment discussions, particularly decision-making with patients and their families.

Epidemiology
Long-term mortality of adult patients with carbon monoxide poisoning presenting to the emergency department in Korea: a population-based cohort study: Sang Hwan Lee, Soo Rack Ryu, Kyung Hun Yoo, Juncheol Lee, Yongil Cho, Tae Ho Lim, Hyunggoo Kang, Jaehoon Oh, Byuk Sung Ko; Acute Crit Care. 2024;39(4):526-534. Published online November 18, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2024.00199

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1 Web of Science
2 Crossref

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material

Background
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. However, relatively few studies have investigated its long-term mortality impact. This nationwide population-based cohort study examined the association between CO poisoning and long-term mortality.
Methods
This retrospective study utilized data from the National Health Insurance Service database in South Korea. We compared the patients with CO poisoning to those without CO poisoning. Inverse probability treatment weights were applied to both groups to control for potential confounding factors. Subsequently, mortality was assessed using the incidence rate and Cox proportional hazard ratios.
Results
This study included 23,387 patients with CO poisoning and 359,851 without it. Over a median follow-up period of 7.6 years after CO poisoning diagnosis, the mortality risk was 2.6 times higher in patients with CO poisoning compared to that in the control group. In a long-term follow-up of patients surviving beyond 30 days, mortality remained 2.18 times higher. Additionally, a higher mortality risk was observed in the relatively younger age group (18–39 years) and the group with fewer underlying diseases, as indicated by a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 0.
Conclusions
CO poisoning is associated with an elevated long-term mortality rate particularly in a relatively young and healthy population.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Optimizing hyperbaric oxygen initiation time in carbon monoxide poisoning: a 3-hour window enhances neurological recovery via lactate clearance
Dongjun Xu, Xiaoqin Xu, Hui Sun, Jun Xu, Danting Fei, Yaye Shen
Open Medicine.2026;[Epub] CrossRef
Fatal carbon monoxide poisoning in older adults: findings from a 15-year series of forensic autopsies in Turkey
Samet Kiyak, Yusuf Atan, Gökhan Taşkin, Ramazan Kiyak, Ahmet Sedat Dündar
Frontiers in Public Health.2026;[Epub] CrossRef

Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparison of Intubation Success Rate and Times Required for Intubation by Glottic Exposure Methods with Glidescope(R): Hyung Seo Jang, Jun Bum Park, Jae Hoon Oh, Chang Sun Kim, Hyuk Joong Choi, Bo Seung Kang, Tae Ho Lim, Hyung Goo Kang; Korean J Crit Care Med. 2013;28(4):241-246.; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2013.28.4.241

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Abstract PDF: BACKGROUND
The glottis can be exposed by a Glidescope(R) during endotracheal intubation using either the epiglottis or valleculae elevation method. We compared the epiglottis and valleculae elevation methods for endotracheal intubations performed with a Glidescope(R) using differences in success rate, time spent for tracheal intubation and percent of glottic opening.
METHODS
Forty medical students without experience using a Glidescope(R) participated in this prospective, randomized study in which they intubated a tracheal tube into a manikin. All participants performed tracheal intubation using the 2 forementioned methods. Twenty students exposed the vocal cord by placing the blade tip in the valleculae (valleculae elevation method; VEM). The other 20 students directly elevated the epiglottis with the blade (epiglottis elevation method; EEM). We separated intubating time into 3 parts: turnaround time to exposing the vocal cord, tube passing time and first ventilating time.
RESULTS
The success rate of tracheal intubation using VEM (86.7%, 104/120) was higher than that using EEM (65.8%, 79/120) (p < 0.001). VEM resulted in a lower total intubation time (VEM vs. EEM, 23.5 +/- 5.3 vs. 29.0 +/- 8.7, p = 0.001). The key factor of this difference was the tube passing time (VEM vs. EEM, 7.4 +/- 2.5 vs. 12.8 +/- 7.4, p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
Exposing the vocal cord by using VEM during tracheal intubation with a Glidescope(R) can increase the success rate of tracheal intubation and shorten the time of endotracheal intubation in novices.

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