| A Development of Triage in the Emergency Department |
| Kang Suk Seo, Jeong Heon Lee, Jong Kun Kim, Sin Kam, Jeong Bae Park, Young Kook Yun |
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| ABSTRACT |
BACKGROUND: To examine whether nonemergency patients can be identified and be safely triaged out of the emergency department.
METHODS:
Adult patients(16 years or older) who visited to the emergency department were prospectively studied from July 1 to August 31, 1997. Authors developed a new triage composed of vital signs, mental status, chief complaints, etiology, and a mode of transfer. Chi-square test and a discriminant analysis were applied for statistical analysis.
RESULTS:
In a discriminant analysis, mode of transfer, chief complaint, age, heart rate, mental status, etiology, and body temperature were significant variables in order. In a canonical discriminant value at group mean, a nonemergent value is 0.450 and a emergent value -0.219.
CONCLUSIONS:
In simply applicable triage method, mode of transfer and chief complaints are more important than vital sign and mental status. This method is useful in disaster situation and non-medical personnel may use this triage method easily. But some patients are not triaged by this triage method, thus more studies and discussions are necessary. |
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