title: The formation and design of the TRIAGE study--baseline data on 6005 consecutive patients admitted to hospital from the emergency department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patient crowding in emergency departments (ED) is a common challenge and associated with worsened outcome for the patients. Previous studies on biomarkers in the ED setting has focused on identification of high risk patients, and and the ability to use biomarkers to identify low-risk patients has only been sparsely examined. The broader aims of the TRIAGE study are to develop methods to identify low-risk patients appropriate for early ED discharge by combining information from a wide range of new inflammatory biomarkers and vital signs, the present baseline article aims to describe the formation of the TRIAGE database and characteristize the included patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included consecutive patients ≥ 17 years admitted to hospital after triage staging in the ED. Blood samples for a biobank were collected and plasma stored in a freezer (-80 °C). Triage was done by a trained nurse using the Danish Emergency Proces Triage (DEPT) which categorizes patients as green (not urgent), yellow (urgent), orange (emergent) or red (rescusitation). Presenting complaints, admission diagnoses, comorbidities, length of stay, and 'events' during admission (any of 20 predefined definitive treatments that necessitates in-hospital care), vital signs and routine laboratory tests taken in the ED were aslo included in the database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between September 5(th) 2013 and December 6(th) 2013, 6005 patients were included in the database and the biobank (94.1 % of all admissions). Of these, 1978 (32.9 %) were categorized as green, 2386 (39.7 %) yellow, 1616 (26.9 %) orange and 25 (0.4 %) red. Median age was 62 years (IQR 46-76), 49.8 % were male and median length of stay was 1 day (IQR 0-4). No events were found in 2658 (44.2 %) and 158 (2.6 %) were admitted to intensive or intermediate-intensive care unit and 219 (3.6 %) died within 30 days. A higher triage acuity level was associated with numerous events, including acute surgery, endovascular intervention, i.v. treatment, cardiac arrest, stroke, admission to intensive care, hospital transfer, and mortality within 30 days (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The TRIAGE database has been completed and includes data and blood samples from 6005 unselected consecutive hospitalized patients. More than 40 % experienced no events and were therefore potentially unnecessary hospital admissions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. louislindplesner@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. louislindplesner@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Louis Lind
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Plesner
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. annekristine89@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. annekristine89@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anne Kristine Servais
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. sp.langkjaer@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. sp.langkjaer@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langkjær
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. tureln@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. tureln@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ture Lange
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. rebeccaoestervig@hotmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. rebeccaoestervig@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Østervig
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. pederwarming@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. pederwarming@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peder Emil
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Warming
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. idreessou@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. idreessou@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Idrees Ahmad
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Salam
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. kristensen.michael@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. kristensen.michael@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kristensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. m.schou@dadlnet.dk.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. m.schou@dadlnet.dk.
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schou
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark. jespereugenolsen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jesper
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eugen-Olsen
authors.affiliation: Emergency Department, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. Jakob.Lundager.Forberg@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Jakob Lundager
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Forberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. Lars.Koeber@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Køber
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Centre of Head and Orthopaedics, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. lars.rasmussen.01@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Lars S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. georg.soeletormos@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: György
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sölétormos
authors.affiliation: Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism (CIM) and Centre for Physical Activity Research (CFAS), Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. bente.klarlund.pedersen@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Bente Klarlund
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, North Zealand Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. kasper.k.iversen@gmail.com.|Department of Cardiology, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark. kasper.k.iversen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kasper
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iversen
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003441:Crowding; D003718:Denmark; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014218:Triage / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055986:Vital Signs
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers