Facility Triage Criteria

Reviewed June 2013; Oct 2014; Oct 2015; Oct 2016; Oct 2017; Oct 2018; Oct 2019; Oct 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the Regional Facility Triage Criteria scheme are:

1.  to categorize patients for determination of facility transport and/or transfer

2.  to specify facility action plans for transfer of patients

3.  to include pediatric and burn criteria for patient transport and/or transfer

Description of Triage Decision Scheme

The Trauma Triage Scheme was a collaborative effort of the American College of Surgeons and American College of Emergency Physicians guidelines.

The Triage Decision Scheme is to serve as a model for TSA-C to incorporate hospitals from levels I to IV. The Triage Decision Scheme is an algorithm approach to differentiating patient categories as well as a mechanism for activation of Trauma Teams in Facilities.

Patient Categories – The Triage Decision Scheme defines patient categories as critical and urgent.

Critical patients meet criteria for instability of hemodynamic and neurologic functions, as well as specific anatomical injury patterns that place them at a high suspicion for significant risk.

Urgent categorized patients are those that are evaluated for evidence of mechanism of injury, high energy impact and age or disease specific history.

Facility Triage Action Plan

The facility triage action plan is included within the Triage Decision Scheme to assist facilities in determining where a trauma patient should be transferred. It includes the service that should admit the patients, the level to be transferred to and stabilization and transport. Guidelines for air medical transport are included within this to assist facilities in assuring “the right patient, to the right facility, in the right amount of time.”

Tertiary Facility/Re-Classification of Patients

United Regional Health Care System provides the tertiary care for TSA-C for all patients except the following: limb re-implantation, severe burns and severely injured pediatrics. These patients are transferred to a Level I Trauma center or Children’s Hospital. URHCS reclassifies patients within their facility for Trauma Team Activation. These classifications are based on similar criteria utilized by the Regional Trauma Decision Scheme.