[Triage duration times: a prospective descriptive study in a level 1° emergency department]

Triage is the most important tool for clinical risk management in emergency departments (ED). The timing measurement of its phases is fundamental to establish indicators and standards for the optimization of the system.

To evaluate the duration time of the phases of triage; to evaluate some variables exerting influence on nurses' performance.

prospective descriptive study performed in the ED of Careggi Teaching Hospital in Florence.

14 nurses enrolled by stratified randomization proportion (1/3 of the whole staff ), according to classes of length of service.

Triage processes on 150 adult patients were recorded. The mean age of nurses was 39.7 years (SD ± 5.2, range 29-50); the average length of service was 10.3 years (SD ± 4.4, range 3-18); average of triage experience was 8.6 years (SD ± 4.3, range 2-13). The median time from patient's arrival to the end of the triage process was 04': 04" (range 00':47"- 18':08"); the median duration of triage was 01':11" (range 00':07" -11':27"). The length of service and triage experience did not influence the medians of recorded intervals of time, but there were some limitations due to the low sample size. Interruptions were observed 111 (74%) of triage cases.

the recorded triage time intervals were similar to those reported in international literature. Actions are needed to reduce the impact of interruptions on triage process' times.