The following table provides the criteria for adult physiological predictors.
| APP | Category 1 Immediate | Category 2 Emergency Within 10 minutes | Category 3 Urgent within 30 minutes | Category 4 Semi-urgent Within 60 minutes | Category 5 Non-urgent Within 120 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airway | Obstructed/partially obstructed | Patent | Patent | Patent | Patent |
| Breathing | Severe respiratory distress/ absent respiration/ hypoventilation | Moderate respiratory distress | No respiratory distress | No respiratory distress | No respiratory distress |
| Circulation | Severe haemodynamic compromise/ absent circulation Uncontrolled haemorrhage | Moderate haemodynamic compromise | No haemodynamic compromise | No haemodynamic compromise | No haemodynamic compromise |
| Disability | GSC <9 | GCS 9-12 | Normal GCS | Normal GCS | Normal GCS |
Risk factors for serious illness or injury
These should be considered in the light of history of events and physiological data.
Multiple risk factors = increased risk of serious injury.
The presence of one or more risk factors may result in allocation of triage category of higher acuity.
Developed by a project team for the 'Consistency in Triage Project' (2001).
Contributors: Emergency Nurses' Association, Triage Working Party and Royal Children's Hospital emergency nursing staff.