Association between Manchester Triage System discriminators and nursing diagnoses.

Area of Science:

• Emergency nursing
• Triage systems
• Clinical decision-making

Background:

• The Manchester Triage System (MTS) is a widely used tool for prioritizing patients in emergency departments.
• Understanding the relationship between triage discriminators and established nursing diagnoses is crucial for effective patient care.
• Previous research has not extensively explored these specific associations in adult emergency settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between specific discriminators used in the Manchester Triage System and identified nursing diagnoses.
• To analyze these associations in adult patients categorized with clinical priority I (emergency) and II (very urgent).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted in a Brazilian emergency department from April to August 2014.
• Data from 219 adult patients were analyzed using online medical records.
• Statistical analysis included Fisher's exact test and the chi-square test.

Main Results:

• The study identified 16 MTS discriminators and 14 nursing diagnoses.
• Significant associations were observed between seven discriminators and five problem-focused nursing diagnoses, such as 'Cardiac pain' and 'Acute pain'.
• Three discriminators, including 'Acute neurological deficit', were associated with four risk nursing diagnoses, like 'Risk of ineffective cerebral tissue perfusion.'

Conclusions:

• The findings demonstrate a significant relationship between Manchester Triage System discriminators and prevalent nursing diagnoses in the emergency department.
• These associations can inform clinical practice and improve the accuracy of nursing diagnoses based on initial triage.
• Further research can explore these links in diverse patient populations and healthcare settings.