Refusing Care to Emergency Department Patients: Evaluation of Published Triage Guidelines

摘要: Abstract Study objective : To determine whether a set of published triage guidelines identifies patients who can safely be refused emergency department care. Design Historical cohort study. Setting: A public hospital ED. Type participants All triaged during one-week period were not in the most acute category. Measurements Two ED nurses, blinded to study hypothesis, reviewed each sheet case met for refusing In addition, record was appropriateness; visit considered appropriate only if predetermined, explicit criteria and an physician agreed that 24-hour delay care might have worsened patient's outcome. Main results Of 106 would been according guidelines, 35 (33%) had visits. Four hospitalized. Conclusion When tested our patient population, sufficiently sensitive identify needed Broad application these may jeopardize health some patients. [Lowe RA, Bindman AB, UIrich SK, Norman G, Scaletta TA, Keane D, Washington Grumbach K: Refusing patients: Evaluation guidelines. Ann Emerg Med February 1994;23:286-293.]