TRIASE

Summary

This video explains the triage process in emergency room (ER) services, emphasizing the importance of quickly assessing patients' conditions to determine treatment priority. The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is introduced, a 5-level triage system used to evaluate the severity of each patient's situation. The video details the roles of triage officers, the equipment needed, and the protocols followed to ensure timely, effective care. It also highlights the dynamic nature of triage, where rapid assessments and decision-making are crucial to improving patient outcomes and reducing waiting times in the ER.

Takeaways

• 😀 Triage in emergency services helps prioritize patients based on the severity of their conditions to ensure timely medical care.
• 😀 The objective of triage is to reduce patient waiting times, minimize mortality, and improve the overall quality of service in emergency departments.
• 😀 Triage officers in the ER must be qualified professionals, including doctors and/or nurses with specific skills, training, and experience in emergency care.
• 😀 The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is a 5-level triage system used to assess the severity of a patient's condition and determine the urgency of care.
• 😀 Triage officers perform a rapid assessment in less than 60 to 90 seconds, using a visual examination and checking vital signs when necessary.
• 😀 The triage process includes a quick anamnesis (patient history), screening for risk factors, and a focused physical exam to determine life-threatening emergencies.
• 😀 Level 1 in the ESI system is for patients requiring immediate life-saving intervention, such as those with unresponsiveness, severe respiratory distress, or shock.
• 😀 Level 2 patients have high-risk clinical presentations and need urgent evaluation, often involving intensive supervision or intervention.
• 😀 Levels 3, 4, and 5 are for patients who do not require immediate intervention, with level 3 needing multiple resources, and level 5 only requiring a doctor's exam.
• 😀 Triage officers can initiate temporary medical interventions, such as securing the airway, providing oxygen, or controlling bleeding before the medical team takes over.
• 😀 Triage documentation includes vital information like the patient's identity, time of triage, chief complaints, assessment results, and the disposition of the patient.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of the triage process in emergency services?

The primary goal of the triage process is to assess the severity of a patient's condition upon arrival at the emergency room (ER), prioritize treatment based on urgency, and direct the patient to the appropriate care area within the ER.

What factors determine the urgency of a patient's condition during the triage process?

Urgency is determined by assessing whether the patient requires immediate intervention to save their life, if the patient is in a high-risk situation, how many resources the patient needs, and if the patient's vital signs need reassessment.

Who are the health workers responsible for performing triage in the ER?

The health workers responsible for triage are doctors and/or nurses who have the required professional qualifications, such as having work permits, clinical authority, and relevant experience. They must also have the necessary skills in emergency care, including good leadership and communication abilities.

What equipment is necessary in the triage room?

Essential equipment in the triage room includes ready-to-use anchors, access to oxygen, portable pulse oximeters, vital sign monitors, thermometers, stethoscopes, ECGs, glucose meters, computers, and necessary PPE supplies.

How long does the triage officer typically have to assess a patient?

The triage officer typically performs a brief visual assessment in 60 to 90 seconds, followed by a more detailed assessment (anamnesis, vital signs check, and physical examination) within a maximum of 5 minutes.

What is the Emergency Severity Index (ESI), and how does it function in triage?

The Emergency Severity Index (ESI) is a 5-level triage system that classifies patients based on their urgency. The ESI uses a decision-making algorithm that evaluates the need for immediate intervention, the risk of deterioration, and the resources required to determine the appropriate triage level.

What conditions correspond to ESI Level 1?

ESI Level 1 corresponds to patients who require immediate intervention to save their lives. These include conditions like unresponsiveness, apnea, absent pulse, severe respiratory distress, or shock requiring immediate resuscitation.

What types of resources are used to determine triage levels 3, 4, and 5?

The resources used to determine triage levels 3, 4, and 5 include ECGs, laboratory tests, radiology exams, intravenous fluid installation, drug therapy, wound suturing, catheter placement, procedures requiring sedation, and consultations with specialists.

What is the role of the triage officer when dealing with patients at lower triage levels (3, 4, 5)?

For patients at triage levels 3, 4, or 5, the triage officer ensures that the patient's vital signs are stable, reassesses their condition if necessary, and places them in a non-resuscitation area, such as a fast-track clinic or other appropriate room in the ER.

How does the triage officer document the triage process?

The triage officer documents key details in the patient's medical record, including the identity of the patient and triage officer, the time of triage, infectious disease screening results, chief complaints, examination results, triage level, patient placement, and any interventions performed.