title: Factors associated with triage assignment of emergency department patients ultimately diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to explore factors associated with the triage category assigned by the triage nurse for patients ultimately diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective analysis of 12 months of data, on adult emergency department patients ultimately diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. Data were obtained from hospital databases and included patient demographics, patient clinical characteristics and nurses' experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 153 patients, 20% (95% CI: 14-27%) were given a lower urgency triage category than recommended by international guidelines. Compared to patients who were triaged Australasian Triage Category 1 or 2, patients with an Australasian Triage Category 3-5 were older (mean age 76 versus 68 years), more likely to be female (63% versus 32%), more likely to present without chest pain (93% versus 35%) and less likely to have a cardiac history (3.3% versus 17.9%). A slightly higher proportion of patients Australasian Triage Category 3-5 were triaged by an experienced nurse (50%) compared to patients categorised Australasian Triage Category 1-2 (35.2%) but this finding did not reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One in five presentations was given a lower urgency triage category than recommended by international guidelines, potentially leading to delays in medical treatment. The absence of chest pain was the defining characteristic in this group of patients, along with other factors identified by previous research such as being of female sex and elderly.
authors.affiliation: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brisbane 4006, Australia. Electronic address: kimberley.ryan@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Kimberley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.affiliation: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brisbane 4006, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia; School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, 4059, Australia.
authors.forename: Jaimi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greenslade
authors.affiliation: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brisbane 4006, Australia.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dalton
authors.affiliation: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brisbane 4006, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brisbane 4006, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony F T
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brisbane 4006, Australia; School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia; School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, 4059, Australia.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cullen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011793:Queensland; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014218:Triage
keywords: Chest pain; Emergency department; Emergency nursing; Myocardial infarction; Triage