The American journal of emergency medicine
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In developed nations, the age of patients in emergency departments (ED) continues to increase. Many emergency triage systems, such as the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), triage patients as a homogenous group, regardless of age. However, older adults have multiple comorbidities and a higher risk of undertriage. The Japan Acuity and Triage Scale (JTAS) was developed based on the CTAS and has been validated for overall adults. We assessed the validity of the JTAS for use in elderly ED patients. ⋯ Our study suggests an association between the JTAS triage level and clinical outcomes in self-presenting elderly patients, thereby demonstrating the validity of the JTAS in these patients. However, admission due to chronic diseases including malignancy was common in patients who were rated as low acuity level.