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A Review Article on Triage Guidelines/Protocols Followed by Emergency Nurses for Patients with Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Mrs. Sonia Arora, Gurmeet Kaur Bagga

Abstract


During the COVID-19 pandemic, appropriate triage of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients is crucial by the frontline nurses. Process of triage is crucial to assign patients to the optimum level of care and provide the best care for the maximum number of patients. Appropriate triage rationally limits personal protective equipment (PPE) usage besides mitigating nosocomial exposures. This review describes in brief about the various adapted COVID‐19 pandemic triage guidelines/protocols followed by nurses in emergency departments. These guidelines are supported by the best available evidence and responses to prior pandemics in the setting of an ongoing PPE shortage and human resources. Triage guidelines also adhere to Centres for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines (CDC) and supports discharge of patients with mild symptoms coupled with strict home isolation precautions and infection control education. The recent emergence of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) with the rapid community spread across the globe in short span of time highlights the high transmissibility of this particular respiratory disease having increase morbidity which leads to more burden on the existing health-care system. By keeping these reasons in mind, it emphasize the importance of triage even more vital at this point of time. Emergency department triage of these patients by nurses and other health care staff reduce the possible risks of transmitting this disease. Author’s hope that this review article will be able to partially help the nurses/health care staff to solve the triage problems of COVID-19 patients by comparing the best practices which are supported by CDC guidelines

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