Triage at the Emergency Department: association between triage levels and patient outcome

• Published in: Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P Vol. 49; no. 5; pp. 783 - 789
• Main Authors: Becker, Juliana Barros, Lopes, Maria Carolina Barbosa Teixeira, Pinto, Meiry Fernanda, Campanharo, Cassia Regina Vancini, Barbosa, Dulce Aparecida, Batista, Ruth Ester Assayag
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Portuguese; English
• Published: Brazil Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem 01.10.2015; SciELO
• Subjects: Adult; Cohort Studies; Emergency Service, Hospital; Enfermería de Urgencia; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; NURSING; Patient Outcome Assessment; Protocolos; Retrospective Studies; Servicios Médicos de Urgencia; Triage - statistics & numerical data; Triaje; Triagem; Serviços Médicos de Emergência; Servicios Médicos de Urgencia; Emergency Nursing; Protocols; Enfermagem em Emergência; Triage; Enfermería de Urgencia; Protocolos; Triaje; Emergency Medical Service
• ISSN: 0080-6234; 1980-220X; 0080-6234
• DOI: 10.1590/S0080-623420150000500011

Identify association between sociodemographic, clinical and triage categories with protocol outcomes developed at Hospital São Paulo (HSP). Retrospective cohort study conducted with patients older than 18 years submitted to the triage protocol in August 2012. Logistic regression was used to associate the risk categories to outcomes (p-value ≤0,05). Men with older age and those treated in clinical specialties had higher rates of hospitalization and death. Patients in the high-priority group had hospitalization and mortality rates five and 10.6 times, respectively (p < 0.0001). The high-priority group experienced higher hospitalization and mortality rates. The protocol was able to detect patients with more urgent conditions and to identify risk factors for hospitalization and death.