Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science

Original article

Neurology
Emergency department visits among patients with neuromuscular diseases receiving home mechanical ventilation: a nationwide population-based study: Jae Hwa Bae, Soyoung Kwak; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2026;43:32. Published online May 12, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2026.43.32 [Epub ahead of print]

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Abstract PDF: Background
Population-level data on emergency department (ED) utilization in patients with neuromuscular disease (NMDs) receiving home mechanical ventilation (HMV) remain limited. This study investigated the frequency, outcomes, and associated factors of ED visits using a nationwide administrative database.
Methods
Using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service database, we identified patients with NMDs who received HMV between January 2016 and October 2021, based on diagnostic codes and the MM441 procedure code. ED visits and outcomes were analyzed using claims data. Associations between ED visits and tracheostomy or gastrostomy were evaluated using the chi-square test.
Results
A total of 1,569 patients were identified; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (39.7%) and muscular dystrophy (31.0%) were the most common diagnoses. During the study period, 1,009 patients (64.3%) visited the ED at least once, accounting for 5,159 visits (mean 5.1 visits per patient). Among these visits, 36% resulted in hospitalization and 3% resulted in death in the ED. ED visits were more frequent among patients with tracheostomy than in those without tracheostomy (76.6% vs. 59.0%; relative risk [RR], 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–1.39; p<0.001). In contrast, patients with gastrostomy had a lower proportion of ED visits than those without gastrostomy (22.6% vs. 55.1%; RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.35–0.48; p<0.001).
Conclusion
ED utilization is common among patients with NMDs receiving HMV and is frequently associated with hospitalization, highlighting a substantial acute healthcare burden. These findings highlight the need for improved long-term respiratory care and outpatient management.

Resident fellow section: Clinical vignette

Neurology
Differential diagnosis of motor weakness in the right lower limb of a 59-year-old male patient: Jae Hwa Bae, Soyoung Kwak; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2022;39(4):347-351. Published online September 20, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2022.00535

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Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Advances in Imaging for Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression: A Comprehensive Review of Detection, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning
Paschyanti R Kasat, Shivali V Kashikar, Pratapsingh Parihar, Pratiksha Sachani, Priyal Shrivastava, Smruti A Mapari, Utkarsh Pradeep, Gautam N Bedi, Paritosh N Bhangale
Cureus.2024;[Epub] CrossRef

Resident fellow section: Teaching images

Musculoskeletal Disorders
A 40-year-old man with neuropathic pain in the entire left foot: Jae Hwa Bae, Mathieu Boudier-Revéret, Min Cheol Chang; J Yeungnam Med Sci. 2023;40(2):223-224. Published online August 30, 2022; DOI: https://doi.org/10.12701/jyms.2022.00486

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