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Primary Trauma Triage Performed by Bystanders: An Observation Study
Martin Nordberg1, Maaret Castrén2, Veronica Lindström3
11Karolinska Institutet,Department of Clinical Science and Education,Section of Emergency Medicine,Södersjukhuset,Stockholm,Sweden.
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine
|May 26, 2016
Summary
Untrained bystanders can effectively perform primary trauma triage using a simple instrument. This study shows bystanders can identify severely injured patients, with low over- and under-triage rates.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Care
- Public Health
Background:
- Effective pre-hospital trauma triage is crucial for patient outcomes.
- Triage often relies on trained medical professionals, limiting bystander involvement.
- Investigating layperson ability in trauma triage is essential for mass casualty incidents.
Observation:
- An observational study involved 69 untrained participants at a public event.
- Participants used a paper-based triage instrument to assess three simulated patient cases.
- Data collected included triage accuracy, over-triage, and under-triage percentages.
Findings:
- The overall success rate for correct triage was 52%.
- Female and younger (<55 years) participants demonstrated higher accuracy.
- Over-triage was 12.5% and under-triage was 6.3%, indicating minimal misclassification.
Implications:
- An easy-to-use triage instrument may empower bystanders to assist in primary trauma triage.
- Low over- and under-triage rates suggest the instrument's usability and potential effectiveness.
- Bystanders may possess an inherent ability to identify severely injured individuals.
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