Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital Disaster Medicine Center
Development of a New Triage Criteria for Hydrofluoric Acid Inhalation Exposure Patients
Development and Validation of the AIR Criteria (Modified IGSA Criteria): Enables Rapid Identification of Potentially Severe Cases
Contributes to Efficient Allocation of Medical Resources and Improved Patient Survival Rates
Professor Heejun Shin’s research team from the Department of Emergency Medicine at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital (including Professor Sekwang Oh from Chungnam National University Hospital, Professor Hanyu Lee from Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, and Professor Hyejin Jung from Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital) announced on the 14th that they have developed new triage criteria for rapidly assessing the severity of hydrofluoric acid inhalation exposure patients.
This study was published in the international disaster medicine journal Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness (Impact Factor: 1.9).
Hydrofluoric acid is a chemical widely used in the electronics manufacturing and industrial sectors. Exposure to it can cause severe chemical injuries to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system. Using machine learning algorithms, the research team analyzed the clinical data of 160 patients exposed to hydrofluoric acid during the 2012 hydrofluoric acid leak incident at a chemical plant in Gumi, South Korea. Based on this analysis, they developed the "Modified IGSA (Irritant Gas Syndrome Agent) Criteria," also referred to as the AIR criteria.
The criteria consist of three elements:
Age ≥ 49 years,
Respiratory rate ≥ 19 breaths per minute,
Presence of at least two major symptoms such as dyspnea or chest pain.
Patients meeting at least two of these elements are classified as high-risk. Using this criteria, patients can be categorized into three groups:
High-risk: Requiring immediate treatment.
Moderate-risk: Requiring observation and treatment.
Low-risk: Suitable for outpatient care and management.
Validation results showed an 84% accuracy in predicting risk levels, demonstrating the criteria’s effectiveness in triaging hydrofluoric acid exposure patients.
Professor Heejun Shin, Director of the Disaster Medicine Center at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital (Department of Emergency Medicine), stated, “This study is the world’s first to develop and validate systematic triage criteria for chemical disaster response using actual patient data and machine learning techniques. It is expected to contribute significantly to the efficient allocation of medical resources and improved patient survival rates in unexpected chemical disasters.”
He added, “We hope this study will serve as a transformative milestone in chemical disaster response systems and become a key tool in global chemical disaster preparedness. Building on these findings, we will lead the development of global standards applicable to a wider range of chemical disaster scenarios.”