Elderly Frequently 'Undertriaged' in Emergency Departments

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."