Volume 1 / Issue 1 Fall 2006

2007 Workshops February San Francisco, CA March Albuquerque, NM April Charlotte, NC May St. Louis, MO June Washington, D.C. (Exact dates to be determined) For more details on upcoming workshops, call toll-free (866) 369-8029 or see the Triage First website at www.triagefirst.com. Triage First, Inc. Phone: (828) 628-8029 Email: info@triagefirst.com www.triagefirst.com

Ask the Experts Question: ESI (Emergency Severity Index) seems to say that I have to make every drunk, unconscious patient a Level 1—is that true? Answer: Yes, it is true. According to the Emergency Severity Index, Version 4: Implementation Handbook, “Any patient who is unresponsive, including the intoxicated patient who is unresponsive to painful stimuli, meets the Level 1 criteria and should receive immediate evaluation.” ESI further defines unresponsiveness as a patient that either: “(1) is nonverbal and not following commands (acutely) or (2) requires noxious stimulus (P or U on AVPU scale).” It is important to note that the Canadian Triage Acuity Scale (CTAS) would also assign this patient a Level 1 – Resuscitation category. CTAS defines Level 1 as: “conditions that are threats to life or limb (or imminent risk of deterioration) requiring immediate aggressive interventions.” Any unresponsive patient that is not already intubated is at risk for airway compromise regardless of the cause of the unresponsiveness. Ask the Experts a question by clicking here. More Articles in This Newsletter: Front Page Welcome! Case Presentation: Would you make this mistake? Ask the Experts: "Five-Level Acuity Scales—I'll Drink to That!" Literature & Research: The Future of Emergency Care in the U.S. and NHAMCS 2004 Emergency Dept. Summary Report © Copyright 2006 Triage First, Inc.