Elderly Frequently 'Undertriaged' in Emergency Departments
"Finally, the authors investigated reasons for inadequate triage. The
most common reason for
undertriage was neglect of
high-risk situations,
sometimes in combination with abnormal vital signs or in combination
with severe pain or distress.
The second most important reason for undertriage was inappropriate
interpretation of vital signs, sometimes in combination with severe pain
or distress, high-risk situations, or an altered mental status.
"[I]nadequate triage appears to be due to a lack of adherence to the
Emergency Severity Index algorithm rather than to an inherent deficit of
the algorithm itself," the researchers conclude."
Ann Emerg Med. Published online March 9, 2012.
Abstract
Conclusion
"In our study, older patients were at risk for
undertriage. However, our results suggest that the Emergency Severity
Index is reliable and valid for triage of older patients."
