Introduction: Trauma scoring standardizes the severity of injuries of patients brought to trauma centers and is predictive of the outcome or prognosis among trauma victims. Hence, creating a trauma score allows for proper prioritization as well as proper management of patients in the emergency departments. Objectives: The objective of the study is to come up with a trauma scoring system that correlates to the probability of survival of a patient using the patient databases in major hospitals in the Philippines representing the three major island groups, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The study will also compare this proposed trauma scoring system with the gold standard (Revised Trauma Score) developed by Champion in 1989. Methods: The proposed Philippine Trauma Scoring System (PTSS) was based on data from the eight largest tertiary hospitals catering to trauma patients. A total of 40,286 patient charts were reviewed. The proposed trauma scoring system integrates concepts used in the Revised Trauma Score (RTS), with addition of age (from Kampala Trauma Scoring), as well as the Injury Score (based on the number of body parts injured). This proposed scoring system was weighted, using logistic regression to come up with coefficients for the components of the PTSS for a more accurate prediction of patient survival. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) was used to plot Sensitivity vs. 1-Specificity. In this analysis, ROC was used to evaluate and compare how good the models are in predicting patient recovery. Results: The components of GCS, RR, SBP, age, and body parts injured were significant predictors of patient outcomes for patients with trauma, specifically the road crash patients in this Philippine study. This study showed that both the PTSS and RTS have a significantly greater area under the curve than the diagonal reference line, which means that both the scoring system have a significant predictive value. The best predictive value, however, comes from the proposed scoring system that is developed from this study in the Philippines. Compared to the gold standard, PTSS Model 1 is a better predictor of outcomes than the gold standard RTS (ROC-AUC = 0.659 vs. 0.633) using only 22,214 valid subject population that contained all the variables needed for the PTSS analysis. Conclusion In a developing country like the Philippines, there are limited resources especially in the healthcare setting. Therefore, it is important to lessen errors in triaging which may result in resource waste and a higher risk of adverse outcomes for the patients. Thus, the PTSS developed in this study can be used by Philippine hospitals as it is uniquely based on Filipino patients using a large database representative of the eight largest tertiary hospitals in the Philippines. The proposed PTSS is shown in this study as the best classifier for patient outcome compared to the gold standard – RTS of Champion.
Triage

Introduction: General Hospital`s Emergency Departments (ED) have become focal points for individuals presenting with mental health problems seeking help. However, frontline ED nurses and Assistant Medical Officers (AMOs) often lack the skills and competency to effectively triage and manage clients presenting with a myriad of psychiatric issues. The objective of the study is to assess ED nurses & AMOs ’s perceived competency and associated factors in providing care for clients presenting with psychiatric concerns. Methods: This study is a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. One hundred and forty-six ED nurses & AMOs were recruited from two tertiary general hospitals in Kota Kinabalu by random sampling. A validated tool (α = 0.92), the Behavior Health Competency Care (BHCC) questionnaire was used to measure psychiatric care competency among participants. Data analyses used descriptive and inferential statistics to identify the association of respondent’s work setting, designation, age, years of work experience, qualification with competency scores. Findings: low total mean score of 2.52(SD 0.68) was found in perceived psychiatric competency among ED nurses & AMOs. Other findings indicate, low perceived competence in risk assessment and poor ability to provide intervention for clients presenting with acute psychiatric conditions. Conclusion: This study found major gaps in psychiatric care competency among ED nurses & AMOs. As ED`s of general hospitals continue to be a focal point for clients with psychiatric disorders seeking help, competency shortfall among frontline ED nurses & AMOs, will negatively affect the quality of psychiatric care delivery and needs to be addressed.
competency psychiatric emergency triage

Background: In a low resource setting, strategies to optimize Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supplies are being observed. Alternative protective measures were identified to protect health care personnel during delivery of care Objective: To provide list of recommendations on alternative protective equipment during this Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic Methodology: Articles available on the various research databases were reviewed, appraised and evaluated for its quality and relevance. Discrepancies were rechecked and consensus was achieved by discussion. Recommendations: The use of engineering control such as barriers in the reception areas minimize the risk of healthcare personnel. Personal protective equipment needed are face shields or googles, N95 respirators, impermeable gown and gloves. If supplies are limited, the use of N95 respirators are prioritized in performing aerosol-generating procedures, otherwise, surgical masks are acceptable alternative. Cloth masks do not give adequate protection, but can be considered if it is used with face shield. Fluid-resistance, impermeable gown and non-sterile disposable gloves are recommended when attending to patients suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Used, soiled or damaged PPE should be carefully removed and properly discarded. Extended use of PPE can be considered, while re-use is only an option if supplies run low. Reusable equipment should be cleaned and disinfected every after use Conclusion In supplies shortage, personal protective equipment was optimized by extended use and reuse following observance of standard respiratory infection control procedures such as avoid touching the face and handwashing. The addition of physical barriers in ambulatory and triage areas add another layer of protection
Personal Protective Equipment ; Triage

Readiness of Health Care Staff: Statement 1. Family physicians and their staff should prepare themselves mentally, physically and emotionally before resuming clinic services. Prior to starting every clinic day, physicians and their staff should take their temperature and note respiratory symptoms. Statement 2. All clinical staff should be properly trained on proper use of PPEs, clinic disinfection, infection control and other safety procedures. Statement 3. Family Physicians should design an office management and operations plan that includes triage, patient flow, treatment and other patient care protocols including strict implementation of infection prevention and control procedures, management of PPE supplies and potential staff shortages. Statement 4. The clinic staff must inform their patients of the changes that may result from the new management and operations plan that will be made in the facility Clinic Procedures, Disinfection and Infection Control: Statement 5. After undergoing proper triage, non-COVID 19 patients entering the clinic should use a hand sanitizer, step on a foot bath or pad soaked in chlorine or any approved disinfectant solution at the entrance. All clinic staff, patients and accompanying persons should be wearing at least a mask inside the clinic. They should be instructed to avoid touching their face or mask and perform hand hygiene immediately before and after if cannot be avoided. Statement 6. Appropriate visual alerts or educational posters regarding infection control, proper handwashing, cough or sneezing etiquette should be visible inside the clinic. Statement 7. The clinic facility must have infection prevention and control measures that adhere to international and local standards. Statement 8. After appropriate triaging, a family physician when attending to a patient shall wear mask, single use gloves and eye protection while apron or gown is optional. It is up to the discretion of the family physician to use higher level of protection based on his risk assessment of the clinic environment and if resources are available. Clinical Services Statement 9. As much as possible, family physicians should continue all primary care services in the clinics. However, it is advisable to first limit the service to non-COVID-19 (suspect or diagnosed) patients. Patients needing COVID-19 assessment and management should be referred to appropriate facilities and follow the guidelines set forth by the Department of Health. Statement 10. A patient who consulted and whose symptoms were resolved may choose not come back for follow-up. Patients with chronic diseases may be followed-up at longer intervals if their illness is stable. Statement 11. Referrals for further assessment, diagnostic tests, or other procedures not available in the clinic must first be coordinated with the referral center/site
Personal Protective Equipment ; Triage ; Disinfection

PURPOSE: Triage in the emergency departmen (ED) is the preliminary clinical sorting process before full disclosure of patients' problems so that patients with the highest acuity are treated first in the setting of resource constraints. To overcome the inter-rater variability of existing triage tools, the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) was developed and was shown to be both valid and reliable in practice. Because of the disparity in practice patterns and some inappropriate criteria in the original ESI, the authors have modified the ESI and determined its inter-rater reliability. METHODS: We applied the modified ESI to a convenient sample of adults who visited an urban academic ED between July 24, 2001, and August 5, 2001. After completion of a short, 4-hour training course on the modified ESI, an intern and emergency medicine resident pair triaged the patients independently. The inter-rater reliability was measured using a weighted kappa analysis and was categorized as excellent (>or=0.8), good (0.60-0.79), or fair ( Adult ; Disclosure ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medicine ; Humans ; Triage*

STUDY OBJECTIVE: determine the level of medical care required for mass gatherings and describe the types of medical problems encountered in a religious mass gathered ceremony. DESIGN: Standard charts and a four-tiered triage system(minor, moderate, urgent, and emergent) were developed before the event. The triage system was applied to each chart retrospectively by a single emergency physician. SETTING: Medical staff(10 physicians,13 nurses,1 pharmacist, and 54 first-aid attendants) were based in 8 advanced life support (ALS) clinics. INTERVENTIONS: First-aid attendants referred patients to the clinics, where nurses conducted initial assessments and referred patients to physicians at the venue. Three ambulances were stationed at the venues. RESULT: 22 trauma patients were developed and 183 medical complaints were encountered. Only 7 urgent medical problems were encountered.
Ambulances ; Emergencies* ; Humans ; Pharmacists ; Retrospective Studies ; Triage

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify better methods of determining the severity of triage by comparing triage results and clinical outcome of patients categorized by the modified Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (mCTAS) and modified Emergency Severity Index (mESI). METHODS: Subjects enrolled in this study consisted of 1,000 adult patients (age 16 years or older) who visited the emergency room of a university affiliated hospital between September 15, 2011 and September 30, 2011 and were categorized into five levels by mCTAS and mESI. RESULTS: 1) Good confidence was verified based on weighted kappa values of 0.70 between the physicians group and nurses group. 2) Upon evaluation of triage by mESI, the majority of patients were at level 3 among 5, followed by level 4, 2, 1 and 5 in order. The same level orders were shown upon evaluation of triage by mCTAS beside differences in patient numbers. 3) Comparing clinical outcome according to the mCTAS and the mESI revealed similar results in both triage tools, with a higher triage level being associated with a higher admission rate and lower triage level and the discharge rate became higher. CONCLUSION: Triage by mESI showed good agreement among asserters and high agreement between physicians and nurses. Clinical results based on mCTAS and mESI triage showed similar rates of admission to the ward or intensive care unit and rates of discharge. Although these two triage protocols are similar in many aspects, the use of mESI is perceived as a better because mCTAS requires knowledge of various diseases and mESI has a short training period.
Adult ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Triage

OBJECTIVE: The study aims to describe factors that contribute to the Length of Stay (LOS) in the Emergency Department (ED) patients of a Tertiary Private Hospital in Philippines.

METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study from September 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 on the factors of ED consultations specifically on demographics (age and sex), payment schemes (Out of Pocket (OOP) and third party payer), shift times (morning, afternoon and night) and triage-levels were associated with LOS.

RESULTS: Our ED consultations with age (mean 40.75 years, SD 16.8, N 20,687, range 95) were dominated by females (56%), two age-range, 21-30 (28.4%) & 31-40 and third party payer (57%). LOS (mean of 4,40 hours, SD 3,89, N 18540, range 68) was significantly higher (p<0.001) on OOP patients, older age-range; 71-80, (3.5%) and 81-90, (2.3%). Emergent cases had higher incidence (X2= 30.2, p<0.001) on morning shift, urgent cases on afternoon shift and trauma cases on evening shift. Non-urgent cases were consistent on all time frames. LOS was significantly higher (X2=p<0.001) on urgent and emergent cases and on morning and afternoon shifts and significantly lowest, (p<0.001) on night shifts.

CONCLUSION: Higher LOS was associated on the following: urgent and emergent triage- levels, older age range, OOP, and morning and afternoon shifts.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze if the indicator 72-hours Unplanned Return Visits after Emergency Department (ED) index discharge was influenced by the patient’s age, triage severity, month, payment methods, and length of stay. Likewise, it aimed to determine if the 72-hour Unplanned Return Visits was a robust indicator in assessing the quality of Emergency Department services. Methods: This was a retrospective single-center study from January to December 2017. Data were retrieved from a tertiary hospital in the Philippines. All Emergency Department patients discharged on their index visit were monitored for Unplanned Return Visits within 72 hours in the hospital. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the variables associated with the 72-hour Unplanned Return Visits. Results: The 72-hour Unplanned Return Visits rate was measured at 2.67%, with the highest occurrence on the first 24 hours, and with predominance on third-party payer (p.<.0001), pediatrics (p.<0001), January (p<.0001), February (p<.0001), November (p<.0001), December (p<0001), and shorter length of stay (p<.0001) discharged after ED index visit. Conclusions Strong association of Unplanned Return Visits during the first 72 hours after Emergency Department index discharge was found for patients financed through third party-payers, with seasonal variations and inclination to the younger population with shorter length of stay. These findings warrant exploratory studies to determine the reasons for the 72-hour Unplanned Return Visits after Emergency Department index discharge and investigation on the association of premature discharge, socio-economic, health structure, and illness progression.
Triage ; Length of Stay ; Emergency Service, Hospital

Objective: The study aims to describe factors that contribute to the Length of Stay (LOS) in the Emergency Department (ED) patients of a Tertiary Private Hospital in Philippines. Methods: This is a retrospective descriptive study from September 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 on the factors of ED consultations specifically on demographics (age and sex), payment schemes (Out of Pocket (OOP) and third party payer), shift times (morning, afternoon and night) and triage-levels were associated with LOS. Results: Our ED consultations with age (mean 40.75 years, SD 16.8, N 20,687, range 95) were dominated by females (56%), two age-range, 21-30 (28.4%) & 31-40 and third party payer (57%). LOS (mean of 4,40 hours, SD 3,89, N 18540, range 68) was significantly higher (p<0.001) on OOP patients, older age-range; 71-80, (3.5%) and 81-90, (2.3%). Emergent cases had higher incidence (X2= 30.2, p<0.001) on morning shift, urgent cases on afternoon shift and trauma cases on evening shift. Non-urgent cases were consistent on all time frames. LOS was significantly higher (X2=p<0.001) on urgent and emergent cases and on morning and afternoon shifts and significantly lowest, (p<0.001) on night shifts. Conclusion Higher LOS was associated on the following: urgent and emergent triage- levels, older age range, OOP, and morning and afternoon shifts.
Emergency Service, Hospital ; Length of Stay ; Triage