Summary

Triage in the health care system during an influenza pandemic: a public health perspective

Castro Delgado R, Arcos González P, Rodríguez Soler A

Affiliation of the authors

Unidad de Investigación en Emergencias y Desastres. Universidad de Oviedo, Spain. Consejo Español de Triaje Prehospitalario y Hospitalario. Spain. SAMU-Asturias, Spain. Hospital Universitario Ntra. Sra. de Candelaria (SCS Canarias), Spain.

DOI

Quote

Castro Delgado R, Arcos González P, Rodríguez Soler A. Triage in the health care system during an influenza pandemic: a public health perspective. Emergencias. 2009;21:376-81

Summary

The current influenza pandemic confronting our health care system is a challenge for the

responsible authorities to manage with an integrated, system-wide approach. As the

entire health care system is likely to become overburdened, referrals between different

levels of care should be coordinated, guided by the use of triage protocols. This paper

discusses the new and important role of triage as a tool for managing patient flow

during an influenza pandemic, although the specifics of the various protocols already in

use internationally are not analyzed in detail. Certainly, triage is a key clinical tool at the

service of public health.

 

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