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Emergency pediatric patients and use of the pediatric assessment triangle tool (PAT): a scoping review
Tore A G Tørisen1, Julie M Glanville2, Andres F Loaiza3,4
1University of Stavanger, P.O. Box 8600, NO-4036, Stavanger, Norway.
Insights
The Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) tool effectively prioritizes emergency pediatric patients and guides interventions in various settings. Further research on its psychometric properties is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Pediatric Care
- Clinical Assessment Tools
Background:
- A scoping review was conducted to examine the evidence for the Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) tool.
- The review focused on its use in emergency pediatric care, both in hospital and prehospital settings.
- Key areas of investigation included psychometric properties, impact, implementation, and training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review the existing evidence on the Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) tool.
- To assess the validity, impact, and application of the PAT in pediatric emergency care.
- To identify research gaps concerning the PAT's psychometric properties and educational aspects.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology.
- Extensive literature search across multiple databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, etc.) and grey literature.
- Independent screening and data extraction by two reviewers.
Main Results:
- Fifty-five publications were included in the review.
- The PAT is a valid tool for prioritizing pediatric emergencies, guiding interventions, and determining care levels.
- The tool is fast, practical, and beneficial for understaffed emergency services; instruction is crucial.
Conclusions:
- Growing evidence supports the use of the PAT in pediatric emergency assessment.
- Further research on the PAT's psychometric properties is warranted to confirm its quality and usefulness.
- The PAT's simplicity and accuracy offer potential solutions for healthcare shortages and emergency service overcrowding.
Background:
We conducted a scoping review of the evidence for the use of the Pediatric Assessment Triangle (PAT) tool in emergency pediatric patients, in hospital and prehospital settings. We focused on the psychometric properties of the PAT, the reported impact, the setting and circumstances for tool implementation in clinical practice, and the evidence on teaching the PAT.
Methods:
We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and registered the review protocol. We searched MEDLINE, PubMed Central, the Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos, Scopus, CINAHL, Grey literature report, Lens.org, and the web pages of selected emergency pediatrics organizations in August 2022. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data from eligible articles.
Results:
Fifty-five publications were included. The evidence suggests that the PAT is a valid tool for prioritizing emergency pediatric patients, guiding the selection of interventions to be undertaken, and determining the level of care needed for the patient in both hospital and prehospital settings. The PAT is reported to be fast, practical, and useful potentially impacting overcrowded and understaff emergency services. Results highlighted the importance of instruction prior using the tool. The PAT is included in several curricula and textbooks about emergency pediatric care.
Conclusions:
This scoping review suggests there is a growing volume of evidence on the use of the PAT to assess pediatric emergency patients, some of which might be amenable to a systematic review. Our review identified research gaps that may guide the planning of future research projects. Further research is warranted on the psychometric properties of the PAT to provide evidence on the tool's quality and usefulness. The simplicity and accuracy of the tool should be considered in addressing the current healthcare shortages and overcrowding in emergency services.
Review Registration:
Open Science Framework; 2022. https://osf.io/vkd5h/.
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