• Dennis Scolnik, Kelly Keogh, Amanda Tuffman, Alessandra Palombo, Jonathan Sam, Derek Stephens, and Eshetu Atenafu.
• Division of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto.
• Paediatr Child Health. 2011 Jan 1;16(1):25-8.

ObjectiveTo assess the influence of prehospital health care contact on triage acuity.MethodsOne hundred fifteen families were assigned Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale scores by a paediatric emergency department (ED) physician. Scores of children who had or had not seen a health care professional before attending the ED were compared.ResultsSixty-two of 72 (86.1%) children without previous health care professional contact, and 30 of 43 (69.8%) children with contact were triaged as 'urgent' (P=0.034). Parents with first aid knowledge (29 of 43 [67.4%]) were more likely to have had contact with a health care professional before visiting the ED compared with those with no such knowledge (27 of 72 [37.5%]; P=0.003).ConclusionPatients without previous health care professional contact were assigned more acute triage categories. Health care professionals may advise families to visit the ED more frequently than necessary, which could contribute to ED congestion. Incorporating a parental estimate of the degree of urgency of their child's complaint into triage procedures represents an intriguing and challenging possibility.

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