Five Levels of the Triage Scale

Triage -- which evolved from the French word "trier," which means "to sort" -- is used in emergency situations and in emergency rooms across the world as a way to designate a person's need for medical care based upon the degree of injury. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the five levels of triage are: Referred, Nonurgent, Urgent, Emergent and Resuscitation.

Referred

• A patient with minor injuries or issues in an emergency room setting can include such ailments as a sore throat, minor burns, a toothache or any other malady that makes it a non-life-threatening case. In an emergency situation, a minor injury could be scrapes, bruises and other injures that do not require emergency medical attention. These patients are also generally ambulatory and are treated last at the ER or during a life-and-death medical emergency.

Nonurgent

• A person that is in a nonurgent situation can usually sit or stand without issue and can follow simple verbal commands and respond to basic question, such as providing their name or the date. Medical workers will often place these patients onto a bed or gurney in order to provide comfort and designate them to be seen by a doctor within the next four hours.

Urgent

• Patients that are considered urgent under a five-level triage scale generally will require medical attention within two hours of arrival at the emergency room. A person that is urgent will generally have symptoms that include a high fever, severe stomach pains, vomiting, deep cuts and lacerations and any other issues that could become more severe if allowed to remain unattended for a long period. Medical workers also place these patients onto a bed or gurney for comfort.

Emergent

• A patient that is in the emergent category generally shows symptoms that could be serious or life threatening, such as shortness of breath, chest pains or shock. These patients could also have injuries from a stab or gunshot wound, or may have a history of other illnesses, such as diabetes, that make them predisposed to medical issues. Nurses generally look over these patients and take them immediately to a doctor for prompt evaluation and care.

Resuscitation

• This is the most serious of the five-level triage scale. These patients will be in cardiac arrest or any other life-threatening situation. Many times these patients will have CPR performed on them as they enter the hospital or when they arrive at the facility. These patients do not generally see a nurse and are taken immediately to a doctor to have life-saving measuring performed on them.