Objectives: By analyzing the characteristics and the distribution of diseases of patients who visited the emergency room of a Korean medical hospital, we sought to determine the methods of activating the Korean emergency medical system and to use this analysis as a basis for future research. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of 959 patients who visited the emergency department of the Dong-Eui University Korean Medical Hospital from January 2016 to December 2016. The review was conducted using electronic medical records created during the emergency department visit. Results & Conclusions: In distribution of sex, the rate of males was 47.9%, and that of females was 52.1%. In distribution of age, the greatest number of patients were in their 50s (27.5%), followed by those in their 60s (19.9%) and 40s (14.8%). In distribution of residence, most patients were from Busan (84.9%). In distribution of week, more patients visited the emergency room on Sundays and holidays (44.3%). September was the busiest month (12.5%). Visits usually occurred during daytime and nighttime, and there were few visits at dawn. In the analysis of the time interval between onset of symptoms and the emergency room visit, most patients visited within 24 hours (46.5%). In the distribution of diseases, facial palsy was the most common (34.6%). In the systematic distribution of diseases, circulatory diseases were the most common (56.7%), followed by diseases of the musculoskeletal system (28.6%). The rate of first emergency room visit was 52.9%, and the rate of revisit was 47.1%. The rate of hospitalization after emergency room treatment was 27.5%, and the rate of discharge was 72.4%. The rate of revisit was 63.4%. In the distribution of treatment before arrival at the emergency room, direct was the most common (51.0%), and the outpatient department of western medicine was next. In the distribution of treatment in the emergency room, acupuncture was the highest (91.4%), followed by herb-med (43.0%).
