This document provides an overview of triage in emergency departments. It defines triage as a process used to assess patients' severity of injury or illness upon arrival to prioritize treatment. The document outlines several challenges emergency departments face and the goals of triage to provide appropriate care in a timely manner. It then describes common triage systems and levels (critical, semi-critical, non-critical), the roles of triage officers, and the process involving assessment, priority assignment, and initial treatment or transport. The Malaysian Triage Category is presented as an example, detailing its levels and clinical descriptions to guide triage decisions.

1. TRIAGE IN EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT
Lye Meng Hon

2. Introduction
 Definition
 French noun derived from the verb trier, which
means to sift or sort.
 the methods used to assess patients’ severity of
injury or illness within a short time after their
arrival, assign priorities, and transfer each patient
to the appropriate place for treatment.

3. Problems Faced in ED
 The volume of admissions to a given emergency
department cannot be predicted with any great
accuracy.
 Only a certain proportion of the patients have life
endangering or medically urgent conditions.
 Patients with life-threatening injuries or illnesses
need to be reliably identified within minutes of
arrival.
 Patient overcrowding.
 The demand for medical treatment significantly
outstrip available resources.

4. Aim
 To ensure that the patient receives the level
and quality of care appropriate to clinical need
(clinical justice).
 Reduce unnecessary delay of treatment.
 Departmental resources are most usefully
applied (efficiency).

5. Triage in Emergency
Department
 ED triage systems
 Designed to identify the most urgent (or
potentially most serious) cases.
 To ensure that they receive priority treatment,
followed by the less urgent cases.
 First-come, first-served basis
 Triage officers routinely assess all patients
who present for treatment to sort and prioritize
them.

6. Types of Triage in ED
 3-level triage system:
 Level 1 = emergent
 Level 2 = urgent
 Level 3 = non-urgent
→ Lack of specificity and prone to subjectivity
 5-level triage systems
 Eg: Australian Triage Scale (ATS), Manchester
Triage Scale (MTS), Canadian Triage Acuity
Scale (CTAS), Emergency Severity Index (ESI)

8. Art of Triage
 Complex and dynamic process
 Obtaining adequate and relevant information
in a short amount of time
 Decisions are made in a time-sensitive
environment with limited manpower and
information.
 Decision made based on pre-existing
guidelines and patient’s condition.

9. Roles of Triage Officer
 Allocate triage category bases on patient
assessment
 Initiate appropriate nursing interventions
 First aid
 Initiation of organizational guidelines, eg: x-ray,
analgesia.
 Liaise with members of the public and other
healthcare professionals.
 Escort patient and pass over relevant information
 Provide patient and public education where
necessary
 documentation

10. Process of Triage
 Main complaint and brief history
 Vital signs
 Physical findings seen, heard, felt or smelt
 Setting the priority status of the patient
 Decision of preliminary diagnostic testing
should be done
 Decision whether treatment should be started
at triage

11. SOAP System
Larry-Weed SOAP system
 S (Subjective) – main complaint and brief
history
 O (Objective) – physical finding and vital signs
 A (Assessment) – setting of the priority status
based on subjective and objective finding
 P (Plan) – preliminary diagnostic and
treatment

12. Malaysian Triage Category
 MTC is designed for use in hospital
emergency services throughout Malaysia.
 A scale for rating clinical urgency.
 Directly relates triage category with a range of
outcome measures (inpatient length of stay,
ICU admission, mortality rate) and resource
consumption (staff time, cost).
 Provides an opportunity for analysis of a
number of performance parameters in the
Emergency Department.

13. MTC
Red (Critical)
Yellow (Semi
Critical)
Green (Non-Critical)

14. Critical (RED)
Conditions that are threats to life (or
imminent risk of deterioration) and
require immediate aggressive
intervention.
The patient's condition is serious enough or
deteriorating so rapidly that there is the potential
of threat to life, or organ system failure, if not
treated within 15 minutes of arrival
The potential for time-critical treatment (e.g.
thrombolysis, antidote) to make a significant
effect on clinical outcome depends on treatment
commencing within a few minutes of the patient's
arrival in the ED

15. Critical (RED)
 Patients with life threatening injuries or illness
which require immediate attention.
 Assessment and treatment simultaneously
within 5 minutes.
 Subcategories:
 R1 (immediate life-threatening)
 R2 (life-threatening)

16. Clinical Descriptions
1. Code arrest (cardiac/ respiratory) or impending arrest
2. Hypoventilation: RR< 10/min
3. Shock state SBP < 80 (adult)or severely shocked child/infant
4. Airway compromise or immediate risk to airway
5. Severe respiratory distress. Tachypnoea and/or dyspnoea with SpO2 <95%
6. Seizuring patient (ongoing/prolonged) and post-ictal states with neurological deficits
7. Coma/ unconscious or responds to pain only (GCS<9/15)
8. Alleged poisoning or drug overdose with impairment of conscious level and need urgent intervention
9. Head injury with GCS 13/15 and below
10. Exsanguinating limb injuries (massive blood loss)
11. Severe crush injuries to limbs
12. Other immediate life threatening conditions
1. Severe or moderate asthma/ COAD
2. Polytrauma/ major trauma
3. Burns to more than 25% BSA regardless of depth and/ or more than 20% 2nd degree burns
4. Alleged near-drowning
5. Gun-shot/ stab wounds to head, neck, trunk or abdomen or trajectory undetermined
6. Arrhythmia with tachycardia/ bradycardia and unstable.
7. Hypertensive emergencies: SBP> 220 or DBP >120 with systemic symptoms
8. Chest pain – visceral, non-traumatic associated with parasympathetic and sympathetic symptoms
9. Acute MI/ unstable angina diagnosed by referral
10. Acute abdomen, hemodynamically unstable
11. Hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia with altered conscious level or neurological/ systemic deficit
12. Baby< 3 months with fever > 38°C
13. Other life threatening conditions
14. Obstetric emergency (Hamodynamically unstable)

17. Semi-Critical (YELLOW)
The patient's condition may progress to life or
limb threatening, or may lead to significant
morbidity, if assessment and treatment are
not commenced within thirty minutes of arrival
There is potential for adverse outcome if
time-critical treatment is not commenced
within thirty minutes
Humane practice mandates the relief of
severe discomfort or distress

18. Semi-Critical (YELLOW)
 Assessment and treatment starts within 30
minutes.
 Usual presentation:
 Unable to walk but airway is secure,
hemodynamically stable and on trolleys

19. Clinical Descriptions
1. Altered conscious level but not comatose. Head injury = 14/15 or GCS full but pupils unequal
2. Fractures of long bones of lower limbs/ pupils
3. Open fracture of upper limbs
4. Spine injuries (not in shock, no neurological deficit)
5. Eye injury with loss or impaired vison
6. Dislocation of major joints
7. Limb amputation: total or/ near-total (haemodynamically stale)
8. Burns 15-25% of BSA regardless of depth and/or 10-20% 3rd degree burns with no compromise to
airway and circulation
9. Vascular injuries but hemodynamically stable
10. Patients with acute abdomen but hemodynamically stable
11. Chemical exposure involving eyes
12. Alleged poisoning/ drug overdose – patient conscious and need no intervention
13. Severe pain:
• Trauma: pain score: 8-10
• Non-trauma: pain score 4-7/10
14. Allergic reaction – moderate
15. Mild to moderate dyspnoea with saturation >95% and/or rate <40/ min
16. Hyperventilation and unable to maintain posture
17. Cheat pain – visceral and not associated with other symptoms
18. Hepertensive urgencies: elevated SBP < 220mmHg or DBP <120mmHg with minimal systemic
symptoms but no neurological deficit.
19. Baby > 3 months with fever > 38°C
20. Infant < 1 month regardless of any symptoms
21. Significant per vaginal bleed with hemodynamically stable
22. Other medical urgencies requiring intravenous intervention and intermittent monitoring only:
• Dehydration, diarrhea with vomiting, pyrexia >40°C, signs of infection, dialysis problem, acute
psychotic episodes, chemotherapy or immunocompromised, acute urinary retention.

20. Non-Critical (GREEN)
The patient's condition may deteriorate, or adverse
outcome may result, if assessment and treatment is not
commenced within one hour of arrival in ED. Symptoms
moderate or prolonged.
There is potential for adverse outcome if time-critical
treatment is not commenced within hour
Likely to require complex work-up and consultation
and/or inpatient management
Humane practice mandates the relief of discomfort or
distress within one hour

21. Non-Critical (GREEN)
 Assessment and treatment starts within 90
minutes
 Usual presentation:
 Airway secure, hemodynamically stable patients
not in any distress and ambulant
 Subcatagories:
 G1 (fast line)
 G2 (require initial management or first aid before seen
by doctor)
 G3 (patients who can wait)
 G4 (triage away to primary care or another center)
 G5 (not seen in ED)

22. Non-Critical (GREEN)
G1 (Fast Lane)
 Children < 2 years old
 Senior citizen > 65 years old
 Acute pain (trauma): pain score <4/10
 Chest pain – non-visceral, musculoskeletal and not associated with other symptoms
but with history of heart disease
 Abuse/neglect/assault – stable
 Post seizure – alert on arrival
 POP complications
 Elevated blood sugar without any major symptoms
 Mild asthma
 Closed fracture of upper limbs or ankle with major angulations
 Dislocation of small joints
 Foreign body
 Hemodynamically stable per vaginal bleed

23. Non-Critical (GREEN)
G2 (Require initial management or 1st aid
before seen by doctor)
 Chest pain – non-visceral, musculoskeletal
and not associated with other symptoms and
no previous heart disease
 Minor allergic reaction

24. Non-Critical (GREEN)
G3 (patients who can wait)
 Burn < 15% of BSA regardless of depth and/or
<10% 3rd degree burns
 Minor trauma
 Head injury – alert, no vomiting
 Bumps and bruises
 Closed fracture of upper limbs
 Controllable bleeding with closed fracture of upper
limbs or ankle without major angulations
 Nail prick
 Simple cut

25. Non-Critical (GREEN)
G4 (for LOCUM or triage away to OPD or another center)
 Chronic trauma injuries > 6 months
 Diarrhea alone (no dehydration)
 Vomiting alone (normal mental status with no dehydration)
 Acute pyrexia <38°C for adult < 65 years old or child between
2-12 years old
 Simple skin diseases – chronic
 Menses related complaints
 Chronic psychiatric complaints
 General medicine conditions or minor illness not requiring
monitoring
 Sore throat – no respiratory symptoms
 Earache
 Infective eye conditions

26. Non-Critical (GREEN)
G5 (not seen in ED)
 Missed appointment
 Medications exhausted
 Second opinion seeking
 STO
 Medical certificate
 Specialist clinic cases

27. THANK YOU