Triage - Symptoms and Other Predictors in an All-comer Emergency Department Population
NCT ID: NCT05400707
Last Updated: 2026-01-26
Study Results
The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.
Basic Information
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RECRUITING
6467 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
2022-05-17
2026-12-31
Brief Summary
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Detailed Description
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In this national single centre, prospective, consecutive, observational all-comers study patients entering the ED undergo triage and will be verbally informed about the study. First, each patient's vital signs (respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature) are measured and pain is rated on a scale of 0 to 10. In addition, the patient's level of consciousness is assessed using the AVPUC scale (alert, new confusion, verbal, pain, unresponsive, new confusion). Patients are asked to rate their own mobility between stable walking without aids or limited mobility with aids (walking aid, wheelchair, lying down). In addition, the patient's mobility is observed by the triage staff. The probability that the patient will be admitted as an inpatient is then assessed. A Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) is also completed for patients over 65. After triage, patients are transferred to the treatment unit. Patients in need of immediate therapy, such as analgesia, will receive therapy before start of the interview. Patients will then be approached by a member of the study personnel and will be asked "which symptoms are you experiencing at the moment?". The question will be repeated 3 times, Answers will be recorded by ticking boxes in the CRF for a predefined list of 37 symptoms. Then, patients will be asked "which of the symptoms you reported is most important to you?". Patients are asked for their opinion on whether they should be discharged home after emergency treatment or whether they should stay in the hospital. Patients over the age of 65 are asked the following: "generally asked: what matters most to you at the moment?" and "why is that important for you?".
Then, the attending senior physicians are asked how injured/ill they rate the patients on a scale from 0 (not ill/injured) to 10 (very ill/injured). The senior physicians are asked questions about decision-making in the emergency department. With regard to diagnostics, they are asked what type of diagnostic decision is involved (simple or complex decision), whether there was time pressure when making the diagnostic decision and which factors formed the basis for their diagnostic decision (list of 14 factors, numbered according to importance if applicable). Regarding therapy, respondents were also asked what type of therapeutic decision was involved (simple or complex decision), whether there was time pressure in making the therapeutic decision, and which factors formed the basis for their therapeutic decision (list of 14 factors, numbered according to importance if applicable). Then the disposition of the patient (ambulatory or hospitalized) is defined. For ambulant patients, senior physicians are asked which factors formed the basis for their ambulant disposition (list of 9 factors, numbered according to importance if applicable). For hospitalized patients, the senior physicians are asked which factors were the basis for their inpatient disposition (list of 17 factors, numbered according to importance if applicable). Finally, the attending physicians are asked who made the disposition decision.
Follow-up to assess 30-day and 1-year mortality rate and date of death will start one year after the end of the inclusion period.
Conditions
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Study Design
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COHORT
PROSPECTIVE
Study Groups
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patients admitted to emergency ward of the University Hospital Basel.
Assessment of vital signs
heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, peripheral capillary haemoglobin oxygen saturation)
Assessment of patient mobility at presentation
Patients are asked how they assess their own mobility: - Stable walking without aids or limited mobility with aids (walking aid, wheelchair, lying down).
Assessment of level of consciousness by AVPUC scale
Assessment of level of consciousness by AVPUC scale (alert, new confusion, verbal, pain, unresponsive, new confusion)
Assessment of symptoms patients presenting when admitted to ED
Questionnaire with a predefined list of 37 symptoms
Assessment of what matters most in patients of 65 years and older
Patients over the age of 65 are asked the following: "generally asked: what matters most to you at the moment?" and "why is that important for you?".
Assessment of Decision-making in senior physicians
Questionnaire consisting of 10 questions about the decision-making processes in the emergency department and the factors that form the basis of their decisions regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and disposition of the patient.
Pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
The NRS is a segmented numeric version of the visual analog scale (VAS) in which a respondent selects a whole number (0-10 integers) that best reflects the intensity of his/her pain ('0' representing one pain extreme (e.g. "no pain") to '10' representing the other pain extreme (e.g. "pain as bad as you can imagine"))
Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)
The CFS is a commonly used score to assess frailty. It was developed within the Canadian Study of Health and Aging and consists of a 9-level ordinal scale ranging from very fit (score 1) to living with very severe frailty (score 8), and score 9 reserved for those who are terminally ill.
Peripheral Perfusion Index (PPI)
The PPI is derived from the photoplethysmography signal of pulse oximetry and represents the ratio between the pulsatile component (arterial compartment) and the non-pulsatile component (non-arterial tissues) of the light detected by the sensor. PPI can provide information for resuscitation in shock, outcome prediction in critically ill patients and may serve as an adjunct triage tool.
Capillary Refill Time (CRT)
CRT provides a standardized assessment of capillary flow dynamics and is most assessed at the fingertip in clinical practice. A prolonged CRT in patients with septic, traumatic and cardiogenic shock has been associated with increased mortality and might be used as a resuscitation target in patients with septic shock.
Mottling Score (MS)
Mattling is a characteristic discoloration of the skin resulting from reduced skin blood flow and has been shown to be associated with tissue hypoperfusion. The MS provides a simple scale (0-5) to characterize the extent of skin mottling around the knee and the severity of mottling is associated with adverse outcomes.
Mental health complaints
Mental health complaints require safe, efficient risk stratification to distinguish primary psychiatric conditions from medical causes or comorbidities. Because current medical screening practices are inconsistent and unvalidated, this study will use prospective routine ED data to evaluate triage assessments of psychiatric likelihood and identify opportunities for standardized, evidence-based screening.
Altered mental status - a vital sign
Delirium is a common and high-risk condition in older ED patients, and early detection is crucial to improve short- and long-term outcomes. This study will use routinely collected ED screening data (modified Confusion Assessment Method for the Emergency Department (mCAM-ED) and the four-item Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT-4)) to describe delirium prevalence and evaluate delirium identification in the emergency setting.
Interventions
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Assessment of vital signs
heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiration rate, peripheral capillary haemoglobin oxygen saturation)
Assessment of patient mobility at presentation
Patients are asked how they assess their own mobility: - Stable walking without aids or limited mobility with aids (walking aid, wheelchair, lying down).
Assessment of level of consciousness by AVPUC scale
Assessment of level of consciousness by AVPUC scale (alert, new confusion, verbal, pain, unresponsive, new confusion)
Assessment of symptoms patients presenting when admitted to ED
Questionnaire with a predefined list of 37 symptoms
Assessment of what matters most in patients of 65 years and older
Patients over the age of 65 are asked the following: "generally asked: what matters most to you at the moment?" and "why is that important for you?".
Assessment of Decision-making in senior physicians
Questionnaire consisting of 10 questions about the decision-making processes in the emergency department and the factors that form the basis of their decisions regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and disposition of the patient.
Pain Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)
The NRS is a segmented numeric version of the visual analog scale (VAS) in which a respondent selects a whole number (0-10 integers) that best reflects the intensity of his/her pain ('0' representing one pain extreme (e.g. "no pain") to '10' representing the other pain extreme (e.g. "pain as bad as you can imagine"))
Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS)
The CFS is a commonly used score to assess frailty. It was developed within the Canadian Study of Health and Aging and consists of a 9-level ordinal scale ranging from very fit (score 1) to living with very severe frailty (score 8), and score 9 reserved for those who are terminally ill.
Peripheral Perfusion Index (PPI)
The PPI is derived from the photoplethysmography signal of pulse oximetry and represents the ratio between the pulsatile component (arterial compartment) and the non-pulsatile component (non-arterial tissues) of the light detected by the sensor. PPI can provide information for resuscitation in shock, outcome prediction in critically ill patients and may serve as an adjunct triage tool.
Capillary Refill Time (CRT)
CRT provides a standardized assessment of capillary flow dynamics and is most assessed at the fingertip in clinical practice. A prolonged CRT in patients with septic, traumatic and cardiogenic shock has been associated with increased mortality and might be used as a resuscitation target in patients with septic shock.
Mottling Score (MS)
Mattling is a characteristic discoloration of the skin resulting from reduced skin blood flow and has been shown to be associated with tissue hypoperfusion. The MS provides a simple scale (0-5) to characterize the extent of skin mottling around the knee and the severity of mottling is associated with adverse outcomes.
Mental health complaints
Mental health complaints require safe, efficient risk stratification to distinguish primary psychiatric conditions from medical causes or comorbidities. Because current medical screening practices are inconsistent and unvalidated, this study will use prospective routine ED data to evaluate triage assessments of psychiatric likelihood and identify opportunities for standardized, evidence-based screening.
Altered mental status - a vital sign
Delirium is a common and high-risk condition in older ED patients, and early detection is crucial to improve short- and long-term outcomes. This study will use routinely collected ED screening data (modified Confusion Assessment Method for the Emergency Department (mCAM-ED) and the four-item Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT-4)) to describe delirium prevalence and evaluate delirium identification in the emergency setting.
Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
* unwillingness to participate
* insufficient ability to communicate with the study personnel.
18 Years
ALL
No
Sponsors
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University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
OTHER
Responsible Party
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Principal Investigators
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Roland Bingisser, Prof. Dr. med.
Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
University Hospital Basel, Department of Emergency Medicine
Locations
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Department of Emergency Medicine, University Hospital Basel
Basel, , Switzerland
Countries
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Central Contacts
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Facility Contacts
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References
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Riedel HB, Espejo T, Dreher-Hummel T, Bingisser R, Nickel CH. Screening for elder mistreatment in a Swiss emergency department: a prospective cohort study. Swiss Med Wkly. 2024 Jun 10;154:3775. doi: 10.57187/s.3775.
Albrecht R, Espejo T, Riedel HB, Nissen SK, Banerjee J, Conroy SP, Dreher-Hummel T, Brabrand M, Bingisser R, Nickel CH. Clinical Frailty Scale at presentation to the emergency department: interrater reliability and use of algorithm-assisted assessment. Eur Geriatr Med. 2024 Feb;15(1):105-113. doi: 10.1007/s41999-023-00890-y. Epub 2023 Nov 16.
Other Identifiers
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PB_2016-02667; am22Bingisser
Identifier Type: -
Identifier Source: org_study_id
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