Review of Emergency Department Triage Scales
Author Information
Author(s): Farrohknia Nasim, Castrén Maaret, Ehrenberg Anna, Lind Lars, Oredsson Sven, Jonsson Håkan, Asplund Kjell, Göransson Katarina E
Primary Institution: The Swedish Council for Health Technology Assessment and Dep of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
Hypothesis
What is the scientific evidence for published emergency department triage scales?
Conclusion
Emergency department triage scales are supported by limited and often insufficient evidence.
Supporting Evidence
- ED triage scales have been shown to have limited scientific evidence.
- Individual vital signs' ability to predict outcomes is rarely studied in the ED setting.
- Interrater agreement for triage scales is insufficient or lacking.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well different systems for deciding who gets treated first in emergency rooms work, and found that there's not enough good evidence to say they are reliable.
Methodology
A systematic search of literature from 1966 to 2009 was conducted, focusing on controlled studies of adult patients visiting emergency departments.
Potential Biases
Most studies were observational and of low to moderate quality, which may affect the reliability of the findings.
Limitations
The review is limited to adult patients in somatic care and does not include studies on other aspects of emergency care.
Participant Demographics
Adult patients (≥15 years) visiting emergency departments for somatic reasons.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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