Priority questions always have 4 parts. What are they?
- Age
- Gender
- Diagnosis
- Modifying phrase
Which of the 4 parts of a Priority question do we throw out and why?
- Age and Gender
- If not a pediatric question, age and gender have nothing to do with priority of care.
The key to answering a Prioritization question lies in the relationship of which parts of the question?
Diagnosis and modifying phrase
What are the four rules of prioritization?
- Acute beats Chronic
- Fresh post-op (<12hrs) beats medical/other surgical
- Unstable beats Stable
- The more vital the organ, the higher the priority (this is only used as a tie breaker)
Stable or Unstable?
Acute vs. Chronic
- Acute: Unstable
- Chronic: Stable
Stable or Unstable?
Post-op >12hrs vs. Post-op <12hrs
- >12hrs = stable
- < 12hrs = unstable
Stable or Unstable?
Local/Regional Anesthsesia vs. General Anesthesia?
- Local/Regional Anesthsesia = stable
- General Anesthesia = unstable
Stable or Unstable?
A/B level Lab abnormalities vs. C/D Lab abnormalities
- A/B level Lab abnormalities = stable
- C/D Lab abnormalities = unstable
Stable or Unstable?
What phrases regarding admission/discharge = stable?
- ready for discharge
- to be discharged
- admitted longer than 24hrs ago
Stable or Unstable?
What phrases regarding admission/discharge = UNstable?
- Not ready for discharge
- Newly admitted
- Newly diagnosed
- Admitted <24hrs ago
Stable or Unstable?
Changing/changed assessments vs. Unchanged assessments
- Changing/changed assessments = Unstable
- Unchanged assessments = Stable
Stable or Unstable?
Pt is experiencing:
expected vs. unexected
s/s of the d/x’d disease
- Expected = stable
- Unexpected = unstable
What are four things that always make a pt unstable?
(whether expected or not)
- Hemorrhage (don’t confuse w/ bleeding)
- High fevers (over 105°) - seizure risk
- Hypoglycemia (even if its a normal value - it is what they say it is)
- Pulselessness and breathlessness
When is Pulselessness and breathlessness the lowest priority?
Only at the scene of an unwitnessed accident.
What is the priority order of Organ Vitality?
- Brain
- Lungs
- Heart
- Liver
- Kidney
- Pancreas
after that, no one agrees
