Manchester triage system in paediatric emergency care: prospective observational study.
OBJECTIVE
To validate use of the Manchester triage system in paediatric emergency care.


METHODS
Prospective observational study.


METHODS
Emergency departments of a university hospital and a teaching hospital in the Netherlands, 2006-7.


METHODS
17,600 children (aged <16) visiting an emergency department over 13 months (university hospital) and seven months (teaching hospital).


METHODS
Nurses triaged 16,735/17,600 patients (95%) using a computerised Manchester triage system, which calculated urgency levels from the selection of discriminators embedded in flowcharts for presenting problems. Nurses over-ruled the urgency level in 1714 (10%) children, who were excluded from analysis. Complete data for the reference standard were unavailable in 1467 (9%) children leaving 13,554 patients for analysis.


METHODS
Urgency according to the Manchester triage system compared with a predefined and independently assessed reference standard for five urgency levels. This reference standard was based on a combination of vital signs at presentation, potentially life threatening conditions, diagnostic resources, therapeutic interventions, and follow-up. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios for high urgency (immediate and very urgent) and 95% confidence intervals for subgroups based on age, use of flowcharts, and discriminators.


RESULTS
The Manchester urgency level agreed with the reference standard in 4582 of 13,554 (34%) children; 7311 (54%) were over-triaged and 1661 (12%) under-triaged. The likelihood ratio was 3.0 (95% confidence interval 2.8 to 3.2) for high urgency and 0.5 (0.4 to 0.5) for low urgency; though the likelihood ratios were lower for those presenting with a medical problem (2.3 (2.2 to 2.5) v 12.0 (7.8 to 18.0) for trauma) and in younger children (2.4 (1.9 to 2.9) at 0-2 months [corrected] v 5.4 (4.5 to 6.5) at 8-16 years).


CONCLUSIONS
The Manchester triage system has moderate validity in paediatric emergency care. It errs on the safe side, with much more over-triage than under-triage compared with an independent reference standard for urgency. Triage of patients with a medical problem or in younger children is particularly difficult.
van Veen
M
M
Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus Medical Centre, Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, PO Box 2060, 3000 CB Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Steyerberg
Ewout W
EW
Ruige
Madelon
M
van Meurs
Alfred H J
AH
Roukema
Jolt
J
van der Lei
Johan
J
Moll
Henriette A
HA
D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D010371:Pediatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012015:Reference Standards; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014218:Triage / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards