Articles: start-simple-triage-rapid-treatment.
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Mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) present a unique challenge with regards to triage as patient volume often outweighs the number of available Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. A possible strategy to optimize existing triage systems includes the use of other first responder groups, namely fire and police, to decrease the triage time during MCIs, allowing for more rapid initiation of life-saving treatment and prioritization of patient transport. Hypothesis First-year primary care paramedic (PCP), fire, and police trainees can apply with similar accuracy an internationally recognized MCI triage tool, Sort, Assess, Life-saving interventions, Treatment/transport (SALT), immediately following a brief training session, and again three months later. ⋯ Amongst first responder trainees, PCPs were able to apply the SALT triage tool with the most accuracy, followed by fire, then police. Over-triage was the most frequent error, while critical errors were rare.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2015
Accuracy, Efficiency, and Inappropriate Actions Using JumpSTART Triage in MCI Simulations.
Using the pediatric version of the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (JumpSTART) algorithm for the triage of pediatric patients in a mass-casualty incident (MCI) requires assessing the results of each step and determining whether to move to the next appropriate action. Inappropriate application can lead to performance of unnecessary actions or failure to perform necessary actions. Hypothesis/Problem To report overall accuracy and time required for triage, and to assess if the performance of unnecessary steps, or failure to perform required steps, in the triage algorithm was associated with inaccuracy of triage designation or increased time to reach a triage decision. ⋯ Thirty-three students completed 363 scenarios. The overall accuracy was 85.7% and overall mean time to assign a triage designation was 70.4 seconds, with decreasing times as triage acuity level decreased. In over one-half of cases, the student omitted at least one action and/or performed at least one action that was not required. Each unnecessary action increased time to triage by a mean of 8.4 seconds and each omitted action increased time to triage by a mean of 5.5 seconds. Discussion Increasing triage level, performance of inappropriate actions, and omission of recommended actions were all associated with increasing time to perform triage.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Oct 2015
Comparative StudyComparison of Computerized Patients versus Live Moulaged Actors for a Mass-casualty Drill.
Multiple modalities for simulating mass-casualty scenarios exist; however, the ideal modality for education and drilling of mass-casualty incident (MCI) triage is not established. Hypothesis/Problem Medical student triage accuracy and time to triage for computer-based simulated victims and live moulaged actors using the pediatric version of the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (JumpSTART) mass-casualty triage tool were compared, anticipating that student performance and experience would be equivalent. ⋯ While potentially easier and more convenient to accomplish, computerized scenarios offered less fidelity than live moulaged actors for the purposes of MCI drilling. Medical students triaged live actors more accurately and more quickly than victims shown in a computerized simulation.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Aug 2015
Observational StudyImpact of a Two-step Emergency Department Triage Model with START, then CTAS, on Patient Flow During a Simulated Mass-casualty Incident.
A high influx of patients during a mass-casualty incident (MCI) may disrupt patient flow in an already overcrowded emergency department (ED) that is functioning beyond its operating capacity. This pilot study examined the impact of a two-step ED triage model using Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) for pre-triage, followed by triage with the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), on patient flow during a MCI simulation exercise. Hypothesis/Problem It was hypothesized that there would be no difference in time intervals nor patient volumes at each patient-flow milestone. ⋯ Experienced triage nurses were able to apply CTAS effectively during a MCI simulation exercise. A two-step ED triage model using START, then CTAS, had similar patient flow and triage accuracy when compared to START alone.
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Jun 2015
Recent advances in medical device triage technologies for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events.
In 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration (Silver Spring, Maryland USA) created the Medical Countermeasures Initiative with the mission of development and promoting medical countermeasures that would be needed to protect the nation from identified, high-priority chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) threats and emerging infectious diseases. The aim of this review was to promote regulatory science research of medical devices and to analyze how the devices can be employed in different CBRN scenarios. ⋯ Despite the challenges, there have been recent advances in CBRN triage technology that include: novel technologies; mobile medical applications ("medical apps") for CBRN disasters; electronic triage tags, such as eTriage; diagnostic field devices, such as the Joint Biological Agent Identification System; and decision support systems, such as the Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management Intelligent Syndromes Tool (CHEMM-IST). Further research and medical device validation can help to advance prehospital triage technology for CBRN events.