Derived from the French word for ‘sorting’, triage is a universal term applied to methods of allocating treatment prioritisations for casualties from disasters or in warfare. The procedure helps a medical team to treat casualties who, although badly injured, can be saved; to defer those whose treatment is less urgent; and to provide care and comfort for those with fatal injuries.
Triage is now operated in accident and emergency departments by a ‘triage nurse’ who allocates a degree of priority so that patients are seen in order of severity rather than according to their time of arrival.
n. a system whereby patients are evaluated and categorized according to the seriousness of their injuries or illnesses with a view to prioritizing treatment and other resources. In emergency situations it is designed to maximize the number of survivors.
A condition that needs urgent medical care. Examples include life-threatening injuries involving blood loss or damage to major organs, cardiac arrest or sudden loss of consciousness from, say, a blow or an epileptic ?t. Emergency is a term also applied to any resuscitative procedure that must be undertaken immediately – for instance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (see APPENDIX 1: BASIC FIRST AID – Cardiac/respiratory arrest) or TRACHEOSTOMY. Patients with an emergency condition may initially be treated on the spot by suitably quali?ed paramedical sta? before being transported by road or air ambulance to a hospital Accident and Emergency department, also known as an A&E or Casualty department. These departments are sta?ed by doctors and nurses experienced in dealing with emergencies; their ?rst job when an emergency arrives is to conduct a TRIAGE assessment to decide the seriousness of the emergency and what priority the patient should be given in the context of other patients needing emergency care.
As their title shows, A&E departments (and the 999 and 112 telephone lines) are for patients who are genuine emergencies: namely, critical or life-threatening circumstances such as:
unconsciousness.
serious loss of blood.
suspected broken bones.
deep wound(s) such as a knife wound.
suspected heart attack.
di?culty in breathing.
suspected injury to brain, chest or abdominal organs.
•?ts. To help people decide which medical service is most appropriate for them (or someone they are caring for or helping), the following questions should be answered:
Could the symptoms be treated with an overthe-counter (OTC) medicine? If so, visit a pharmacist.
Does the situation seem urgent? If so, call NHS Direct or the GP for telephone advice, and a surgery appointment may be the best action.
Is the injured or ill person an obvious emergency (see above)? If so, go to the local A&E department or call 999 for an ambu
lance, and be ready to give the name of the person involved, a brief description of the emergency and the place where it has occurred.... emergency
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