TRIAGE
Triage is a process of prioritizing patients based on
severity of their condition so as to treat as many as possible when resources
are insufficient for all to be treated immediately.
Types of triage
A. Simple triage
B. Advanced triage
Simple triage:
START( Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment). Uses "triage
tags"
Priorities
·
Priority
1-Red
·
Priority2-Yellow
·
Priority3-
Green
·
Prriority
O -Black
Triage separates the injured into four groups:
·
0--
The deceased who are beyond help
·
1
--The injured who can be helped by immediate transportation
·
2--The
injured whose transport can be delayed
·
3--Those
with minor injuries, who need help less urgently
Advanced triage
Doctors decide who will be treated first on basis Of
priority. May leave the seriously injured with least chances of survival.
TRIAGE
Priorities of Care and Triage Categories
Standardized triage categories are usually developed within
each ED.: five levels of acuity.
Triage Level 1: Resuscitation
·
Conditions
requiring immediate nursing and Physician assessment.
·
Any
delay in treatment is potentially life- or limb -threatening. Airway
compromise.
·
Cardiac
arrest
·
Severe
shock
·
Cervical
spine injury
·
multisystem
trauma.
·
Altered
level of consciousness (LOC) (unconsciousness).
·
eclampsia.
Triage Level 2 - Emergent
·
Conditions
requiring nursing assessment and physician assessment within 15 minutes of
arrival.
·
head
injuries
·
Vomiting
and diarrhea with dehydration.
·
Severe
trauma.
·
lethargy
or agitation,
·
Fever
in infants younger than 3 Months
·
conscious
overdose.
·
Severe
allergic reaction.
·
Acute
psychotic episode
·
chemical
exposure to the eyes.
·
Severe
headache,
·
Chest
pain.
·
Any
pain greater than 7 on a scale of 10.stroke with deficit
·
Any
sexual assault
·
Severe
asthma
·
Any
neonate age 7days or younger
·
Abdominal
pain in patients older than 50 years of age
Triage level 3 :Urgent
·
Conditions
requiring nursing and physician assessment within 30 minutes of arrival.
·
Alert
head injury with vomiting
·
GI
bleed with unstable vital signs.
·
Mild
to moderate asthma.
·
History
of seizure
·
Moderate
trauma.
·
Alert
on arrival
·
Abuse
or neglect.
Triage Level 4: Less Urgent
·
Conditions
requiring nursing and physician assessment within one hour. Alert head injury
without vomiting.
·
Minor
trauma.
·
Vomiting
and diarrhea in patient above 2 yrs without evidence of dehydration.
·
Minor
allergic reaction.
·
Chronic
back pain.
Triage Level 5: Nonurgent
·
Conditions
requiring nursing and physician assessment two
hours.
·
minor
trauma, not acute.
·
Minor
symptoms
·
sore
throat.
·
chronic
abdominal pain.
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