• FluTrackers.com Inc. does not provide medical advice. Information on this web site is collected from various internet resources, and the FluTrackers board of directors makes no warranty to the safety, efficacy, correctness or completeness of the information posted on this site by any author or poster. The information collated here is for instructional and/or discussion purposes only and is NOT intended to diagnose or treat any disease, illness, or other medical condition. Every individual reader or poster should seek advice from their personal physician/healthcare practitioner before considering or using any interventions that are discussed on this website. By continuing to access this website you agree to consult your personal physican before using any interventions posted on this website, and you agree to hold harmless FluTrackers.com Inc., the board of directors, the members, and all authors and posters for any effects from use of any medication, supplement, vitamin or other substance, device, intervention, etc. mentioned in posts on this website, or other internet venues referenced in posts on this website.
  • We are not asking for any donations. Do not donate to any entity who says they are raising funds for us.

A multicentre evaluation of two intensive care unit triage protocols for use in an influenza pandemic

tetano

Editor, Senior Moderator
Med J Aust. 2012 Aug 6;197(3):178-81.
A multicentre evaluation of two intensive care unit triage protocols for use in an influenza pandemic.
Cheung WK, Myburgh J, Seppelt IM, Parr MJ, Blackwell N, Demonte S, Gandhi K, Hoyling L, Nair P, Passer M, Reynolds C, Saunders NM, Saxena MK, Thanakrishnan G.
Source

Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, NSW. winston.cheung@sswahs.nsw.gov.au.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:

To determine the increase in intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability that would result from the use of the New South Wales and Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic (OHPIP) triage protocols. Design, setting and patients: Prospective evaluation study conducted in eight Australian, adult, general ICUs, between September 2009 and May 2010. All patients who were admitted to the ICU, excluding those who had elective surgery, were prospectively evaluated using the two triage protocols, simulating a pandemic situation. Both protocols were originally developed to determine which patients should be excluded from accessing ICU resources during an influenza pandemic.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE:

Increase in ICU bed availability.
RESULTS:

At admission, the increases in ICU bed availability using Tiers 1, 2 and 3 of the NSW triage protocol were 3.5%, 14.7% and 22.7%, respectively, and 52.8% using the OHPIP triage protocol (P < 0.001). Re-evaluation of patients at 12 hours after admission using Tiers 1, 2 and 3 of the NSW triage protocol incrementally increased ICU bed availability by 19.2%, 16.1% and 14.1%, respectively (P < 0.001). The maximal cumulative increases in ICU bed availability using Tiers 1, 2 and 3 of the NSW triage protocol were 23.7%, 31.6% and 37.5%, respectively, at 72 hours (P < 0.001), and 65.0% using the OHPIP triage protocol, at 120 hours (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSION:

Both triage protocols resulted in increases in ICU bed availability, but the OHPIP protocol provided the greatest increase overall. With the NSW triage protocol, ICU bed availability increased as the protocol was escalated.

PMID:
22860797
[PubMed - in process]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22860797
 
Back
Top Bottom