Risk classification of children and adolescents: priority of care in the emergency unit

• Main Authors: Fernanda Jorge Magalhães (Author), Francisca Elisângela Teixeira Lima (Author), Lorena Pinheiro Barbosa (Author), Fernanda Jorge Guimarães (Author), Gilvan Ferreira Felipe (Author), Karla Maria Carneiro Rolim (Author), Essyo Pedro Moreira de Lima (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1984-0446; 10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0679
• Keywords: Child; Adolescent; Emergency; Risk; Clinical Protocols; Nursing; RT1-120
• Source: Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the clinical conditions and the risk classification of children and adolescents treated in a hospital emergency, according to the Pediatric Risk Classification Protocol. Method: cross-sectional study, with 200 participants, using an instrument based on the Pediatric Risk Classification Protocol and using odds ratio for the analysis. Results: most participants were male patients in early childhood and who were or weren't in daycare. As for clinical conditions, most showed changes in vital (24.5%) and respiratory (20.0%) signs, most patients (57.5%) did not present pain; 35.5% were classified as urgent and 45.0% as non-urgent. There was a greater chance of being classified as very urgent (orange) when compared to non-urgent (blue). Conclusion: the protocol used contributed to an effective classification and was considered a valid and reliable health technology for determining the priority of care.