Refining triage practices by predicting the need for emergent care following major trauma: the experience of a level 1 adult trauma center.

Purpose: We examined the predictability of selected parameters for establishing the need for urgent care following multi-trauma as a means to warrant the highest level of trauma activation and potentially improve over- and under-triage rates.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study of multi-trauma patients aged ≥ 16 years performed at a level 1 trauma center, trauma activation criteria and additional characteristics were examined with respect to treatment urgency, defined as: a direct disposition to the operating room or intensive care unit, initiating acute intervention in the trauma room, and in-hospital death within 7 days of admission.

Results: We enrolled 1373 patients (median age 36.