Emergency Room Triage
Emergency Room Reception Procedure
Nurse Assessment
The triage nurse will ask you questions about your health status
The nurse will take the pertinent vital signs for your symptoms (blood pressure, pulse/heart rate, temperature, respiratory/breathing rate, pain tolerance). This information will be used to prioritize the level of urgency of your health problem.
Depending on the severity of your health problem, the nurse will either immediately send you to the assessment room OR will ask you to take a seat in the waiting room. An attendant will call your name for registration.
If your health status deteriorates while you are waiting:
Immediately notify the triage nurse or the attendant at the registration desk. The nurse will reassess your health status and will notify the medical team if you require rapid medical attention.
Examination by a Physician
The physician will examine you according to:
- the urgency of your health status (PRIORITY LEVELS), and not on a first-come, first-served basis
- the number of patients on stretchers and those already in the waiting room.
Ambulance Transportation
If you arrive by ambulance, will you be seen more quickly? ONLY if your health status is deemed URGENT!
If your case is not urgent, you will go through the same steps as the other patients. You may even be asked to go to the waiting room.Ambulance Transportation: Practical Information
Returning from a Trip Abroad
If you have travelled to one of the countries listed below and then go to the emergency room with symptoms of fever or coughing, be sure to follow the indicated procedures upon arrival to prevent the spread of infections.
Countries | Bahrain • Bangladesh • Cambodia • China • Egypt • France • Greece • Hong Kong • India • Indiana (United States) • Indonesia • Iran • Iraq • Israel • Italy • Jordan • Korea • Kuwait • Laos • Lebanon • Libya • Malaysia • Nepal • Netherlands (Holland) • Oman • Palestinian Territories • Qatar • Saudi Arabia • Syria • Tunisia • United Arab Emirates • United Kingdom (UK) • Vietnam • Yemen
Emergency Room Priority Levels
Level 1 | Resuscitation
Someone with a life-threatening condition who requires immediate resuscitation or life support.Examples: Major trauma, shock, coma, etc.
Level 2 | Emergent
Someone with a serious medical condition that requires an immediate response.Examples: Severe trauma, intense pain in the chest or abdomen, difficulty breathing (infarct), etc.
Level 3 | Urgent
Someone with a medical condition that is potentially unstable but not life-threatening.Examples: Fractures, signs of infection, etc.
Level 4 | Semi-urgent
Someone with a medical condition that does not require an immediate response.Examples: Acute abdominal pain, thoracic pain, minor allergic reaction, etc.
Level 5 | Non-urgent
Someone with a minor health problem who should instead go to a medical clinic or to a CLSC.Examples: Urinary infection, gastroenteritis, cold, flu, etc.
Pour mieux comprendre le triage
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