Background The emergency department (ED) receives patients from all over the world every day. Hence, using various triage scales to detect sick patients and the need for early admission are essential. Triage is a process used in the ED to prioritize patients requiring the most urgent care over those with minor injuries based on medical urgency and medical needs. These decisions may be based on patients’ chief complaints at the time of their ED visit and their vital signs. Vital signs, including blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), and body temperature, are necessary tools that are traditionally used in the ED during procedures such as triage and recognizing high-risk hospital inpatients. This study aimed to determine the relationship between abnormal vital signs and mortality in the ED. Method and Material This retrospective record review study was performed at the ED of King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH). Altogether, 641 patients fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Data including patients’ demographics, vital signs, in-hospital mortality, triage level, and precipitating factors were collected. Results The mean age of the patients was 45.66 ± 18.43 years (69.3% females), and the majority of them had Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) level 3 (71.1%). The total number of in-hospital mortalities was 32 (5%). Lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), high respiratory rates, and low oxygen saturation (O 2 SAT) were significantly associated with high mortality rates. Conclusion Abnormal vital signs play a major role in determining patient prognosis and outcomes. Triage score systems should be adjusted and carefully studied in each center according to its population.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.