Pediatric Disaster Triage System Utilization Across the United States

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Disaster Preparedness
• Pediatric Triage

Background:

• Pediatric disaster triage (PDT) systems are crucial for managing mass casualty incidents involving children.
• Standardization of PDT systems across US states and territories is not well-understood.
• Assessing user satisfaction and preferences is vital for effective implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify which pediatric disaster triage systems are utilized in US states and territories.
• To evaluate the level of standardization in PDT system use.
• To understand user satisfaction, preferences, and incident characteristics influencing activation.

Main Methods:

• A survey was developed to gather data on PDT systems, satisfaction, preferences, and incident types.
• The survey was distributed to Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) leads in each state/territory.
• Response rates and reported data were analyzed to determine system usage and characteristics.

Main Results:

• 86% of states/territories responded, with 88% using a formal PDT system; 50% use multiple systems.
• JumpSTART was the most frequently used and longest-standing PDT system, preferred by 71% of users.
• While incident types were similar, the number of patients triggering activation varied widely (median range 4-7).

Conclusions:

• Most US states/territories employ formal pediatric disaster triage systems, but standardization is limited.
• JumpSTART is the predominant system, favored by most users, and shows high satisfaction.
• Significant variation exists in patient thresholds for activating triage systems, despite consistent incident types.