Manchester Triage System: main flowcharts, discriminators and outcomes of a pediatric emergency care

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Healthcare Management
• Triage Systems

Background:

• The Manchester Triage System (MTS) is a widely used tool for prioritizing patients in emergency departments.
• Characterizing its application in pediatric settings is crucial for optimizing care delivery.
• Understanding patient demographics and triage patterns informs resource allocation and quality improvement initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the characteristics of care services provided through risk rating using the Manchester Triage System in a pediatric emergency setting.
• To identify demographic factors, primary triage flowcharts, discriminators, and patient outcomes.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the MTS in managing pediatric emergency care.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted.
• Data were collected from computerized medical records of patients treated in the pediatric emergency over one year.
• Descriptive statistics, including absolute and relative frequencies, were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• A total of 10,921 visits were analyzed, with a majority of patients being male (54.4%) and aged between 29 days and two years (44.5%).
• The urgent risk category was most prevalent (43.6%).
• The primary triage flowchart was 'worried parents' (22.4%), and the most common discriminator was 'recent event' (15.3%). Hospitalization occurred in 10.4% of cases, while 61.8% required observation.

Conclusions:

• 'Worried parents' and 'recent events' were identified as significant factors in the pediatric emergency triage process.
• These indicators influenced hospitalization rates and the need for extended observation periods.
• The findings highlight the importance of these discriminators in the Manchester Triage System for managing pediatric emergency care outcomes.