Disaster triage takes place at different points along the care continuum. It is categorized as primary, secondary and tertiary triage (Christian et al., 2009).
Methods of triage
Primary Triage
Primary triage takes place in the field and is usually performed by paramedics. It is based on a criterion that is very simple, which can be assessed quickly. For instance, if a patient is in need of intubation as a result of acute distress in the respiratory system, the probable providers will do the procedure if the sight is safe, no susceptible hazard to the providers, the providers have the time and also have effective tools to determine if that patient has the chance of surviving higher care levels in the intensive care unit or the emergency department. Intubation may also need correlated treatment.
Secondary Triage
This triage type is usually done by the emergency physicians or the surgeons once the patient arrives at the hospital (Department of Heath and Ageing, 2007). The patients are prioritized by handing them over to areas of treatment for initial interventions. Effectual sick patients flow through the secondary triage to definitive care is vital. The decisions of treatment may be more correct as compared to the field. However, they still will be limited until further information concerning the forecasted results can be determined.
The objective is to offer vital initial interventions of the ABCs instead of a full resuscitation. After these initial interventions, the tertiary will handover the patients to the definitive care in the intensive care or surgery.
Tertiary Triage
This triage system should be performed by the surgeons in keeping with the most effective triage officers practices. At each triage process stage, accuracy can be augmented by the physiologic parameters and the introduction of planned physical examination. The tertiary triage stage is of basic relevance to critical physicians of care since the situation and the characteristics o the patients call for management of definitive critical care.
However, there will be minimal need to perform a tertiary triage in disaster where majority of injuries are not life threatening.
Methods of triage
The proposed methods of triage encompass the following;
Step 1
First, the patient avails for triage and hazards of safety are put into consideration above all.
Step 2
The second step involves the assessment of;
Principal complaint
Overall appearance
Airway
Circulation
Limited history
Cormobidities
Environment
Disability
Step 3
The third step involves poor outcome predictors from data that was collected during the assessment of triage
Step 4
Step 4 involves identifying patients that have proof of high physiological instability risk
Step 5a
This method involves assigning of a suitable category of ATS in response to data of clinical assessment.
Step 6
Step 6 encompasses allocation of staff to the patient. This includes a short handover to allocated member of the staff.
Step 7
This steps includes emergency department care proceeds model
Address whether or not there is enough evidence to establish one system of triage and support your position with appropriate sources
There is a gap of evidence concerning pre-hospital triage systems and the impacts of utilizing a similar system of triage in two or more EMS settings (Lidal et al., 2013). Nonetheless, this does not mean that systems in the pre-hospital triage are not effectual. There is knowledge absence regarding possible effects. When a novel tool of assessment is introduced in the EMS, it is appropriate to perform a well-planned research to evaluate the effect.
References
Christian, M. D., Farmer, J. C., & Young, B. P. (2009). Disaster triage and allocation of scarce resources. Fundamental Disaster Management, 3rd Edn. Mount Prospect, IL: Society of Critical Care Medicine, 13-1.
Department of Health and Ageing, (2007). Emergency triage education kit. Australia: Common Wealth of Australia.
Lidal, I. B., Holte, H. H., & Vist, G. E. (2013). Triage systems for pre-hospital emergency medical services-a systematic review. Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 21(1), 1-6.
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