J Formos Med Assoc
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Comparative Study
Comparison between Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale and Taiwan Triage System in emergency departments.
Since the implementation of National Health Insurance in Taiwan, Emergency Department (ED) volume has progressively increased, and the current triage system is insufficient and needs modification. This study compared the prioritization and resource utilization differences between the four-level Taiwan Triage System (TTS) and the standardized five-level Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) among ED patients. ⋯ CTAS provided better discrimination for ED patient triage, and also showed greater validity when predicting hospitalization, LOS, and medical resource consumption. An accurate five-level triage scale appeared superior in predicting patient acuity and resource utilization.
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Serum soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (sTREM-1), a detector of acute inflammatory response to microbial products and a good marker for diagnosing sepsis and pneumonia, has not yet been described as a predictor for infection or a prognostic factor in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ⋯ Serum sTREM-1 level might not be a reliable marker for infection in ARDS patients. However, as an inflammatory marker, initial serum sTREM-1 level and its trend over time, especially in the first 5 days, could be predictive of short-term mortality. A progressive decline in serum sTREM-1 levels during follow-up indicates a favorable outcome, whereas persistently elevated sTREM-1 indicates a poor prognosis and should lead to a re-evaluation of therapy.
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Letter Case Reports
A case of acute myocarditis caused by pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus.