Should age be incorporated into the adult triage algorithm in the emergency department?

Objective: To compare resource utilization and mortality between older and younger adult patients with similar ED chief complaints and ESI triage levels.

Methods: This was an observational study of consecutive adult patients (age ≥ 40) who presented to an academic ED over a 1-year period with chest pain, abdominal pain, altered mental status, generalized weakness, or headache. Patients were categorized into 40-64, 65-79, and ≥ 80-year old groups.