Determining Who Needs Emergency Attention First
The term “triage” means sorting out.
Patients are triaged or prioritized according to their need for emergency care.
Resource availability is also taken into account during this process.
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This article explains what medical triage is, how it works, and when it is used.
It also covers different types of triage and the developments that are changing the triage landscape.
Why Is It Called Triage?
The word “triage” comes from the French wordtrier, which means to sort or select.
How Medical Triage Works
Each organization has its own triage system.
They all create priorities for who gets care or is transported for care.
The most common triage systems use color coding.
Process of Triage
Triage works differently in different prefs.
It will be slightly different in a hospital than at the site of an accident or disaster.
Patients meeting the “yellow” criteria are also at risk of serious injury, but theirs is moderate.
The “yellow” criteria are concerned with how the injury occurred.
Level I is the most urgent and level V is the least urgent.
Triage nurses help evaluate patients and decide the priority of care in an emergency room and other medical configs.
They update the medical team on the patient’s status and provide emergency care when needed.
The department may be staffed just to meet the expected need.
This ensures the patients who need lifesaving treatment are seen before those who have less serious conditions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is another technological development that is changing emergency medical treatment.
The triage process of assessing a patient is subjective.
Two nurses evaluating the same patient can sometimes disagree about the patient’s level of care.
Thanks to AI, patients can now be triaged more objectively.
These AI systems are already being used in hospitals in several states including Maryland, Florida, and Connecticut.
They are proving to be an invaluable triage tool.
Summary
Triage is the prioritization of injured or sick individuals based on their need for emergency treatment.
Each organization will have their own triage system, which often includes color-coded or numbered categories.
People with life-threatening injuries are prioritized over people with minor injuries.
Technological advances are changing how triage works.
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Johns Hopkins Medicine.Tool developed to assist with triage in the emergency department.
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