Characteristics of undertriaged older patients in the emergency department: Retrospective study

Older patients are more likely to be undertriaged as they often suffer from multiple diseases and complain of non-specific symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the characteristics of undertriaged older patients in emergency departments.

This descriptive study retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the electronic medical records of older patients who visited the emergency department of a general hospital in Seoul between January and December 2019.

Approximately 29 % (n = 4,823) of older patients who visited the emergency department during the study period were classified as Korean Triage and Acuity Scale (KTAS) level 4 or 5, and approximately 8 % (n = 397) were undertriaged. Approximately 73 % (n = 288) of patients were hospitalized after visiting the emergency department. The undertriaged older patients exhibited nervous system symptoms such as dizziness and headache (28.8 %), cardiopulmonary symptoms such as chest discomfort, palpitations, and abdominal pain (28.4 %), head trauma (12.8 %), and respiratory symptoms such as cough and dyspnea (12.5 %).

Triage nurses in emergency departments should carefully triage older patients as their chief complaints can be non-specific. In particular, when older patients visit the emergency department and exhibit symptoms such as dizziness, abnormal pain, chest discomfort, palpitations, and head trauma, they are more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit. Therefore, meticulous care for older patients showing these symptoms is essential.