EM Vivas · Australasian Triage Scale
Australasian Triage Scale — categories and under-triage
Clinical viva on Australasian Triage Scale.
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Study tools
Target exams
ACEMFRCEMABEM
Prompt
List the five ATS categories with maximum waiting times and explain why under-triage is more dangerous than over-triage, with two high-risk under-triage groups.
Interpretation
Reveal interpretationShowHide
ATS 1 immediate; 2 10 min; 3 30 min; 4 60 min; 5 120 min. Triage sorts by urgency, not final diagnosis. Under-triage delays time-critical care (sepsis, ACS, stroke, ectopic) and causes preventable harm; over-triage wastes resources but is safer. High-risk under-triage groups: elderly (atypical ACS/sepsis), children, non-English speakers, mental health, immunocompromised. Physiological discriminators and re-triage protect against static wrong categories.[1]
References1ShowHide
- [1]Gerdtz M, Bucknall T Australian triage nurses' decision-making and scope of practice. Aust J Adv Nurs, 2000.PMID 11878360