Emergency Triage

The Manchester Triage System (MTS) is the most widely used triage system in the UK, Europe and Australia, with tens of millions of patients being processed through hospital emergency departments. Emergency Triage is the core text for the MTS which utilises a risk averse system of prioritisation for patients in all unscheduled care settings, and as such it is an essential text for all emergency department staff using the MTS, in particular triage nurses themselves. The second edition has been revised throughout and takes in the changes in practice introduced into MTS since the book was first published. These include: Redesigned and expanded flow charts Additional charts for allergy and palpitations New practices – such as the possibility of revascularisation for patients with stroke New discriminators, for example acute neurological deficit and significant respiratory history Redefinition of existing discriminators Also new to this edition is the incorporation of sections on the use of the risk averse system in telephone triage, in settings where ‘streaming’ takes place and as an early warning score for patients in all unscheduled care settings. The tone of this edition reflects the more up to date, modified approach to triage while retaining the principles of clinical prioritisation, which in the authors’ words “remains a central plank of clinical risk management in emergency care”. Emergency Triage is an essential handbook for all clinicians involved in unscheduled care settings such as emergency care, walk in centres, minor injury units, primary care out of hours services.