Prioritization

Question 1

Priority questions always have 4 parts. What are they?

Answer 1

• Age
• Gender
• Diagnosis
• Modifying phrase

Question 2

Which of the 4 parts of a Priority question do we throw out and why?

Answer 2

• Age and Gender
• If not a pediatric question, age and gender have nothing to do with priority of care.

Question 3

The key to answering a Prioritization question lies in the relationship of which parts of the question?

Answer 3

Diagnosis and modifying phrase

Question 4

What are the four rules of prioritization?

Answer 4

1. Acute beats Chronic
2. Fresh post-op (<12hrs) beats medical/other surgical
3. Unstable beats Stable
4. The more vital the organ, the higher the priority (this is only used as a tie breaker)

Question 5

Stable or Unstable?

Acute vs. Chronic

Answer 5

• Acute: Unstable
• Chronic: Stable

Question 6

Stable or Unstable?

Post-op >12hrs vs. Post-op <12hrs

Answer 6

• >12hrs = stable
• < 12hrs = unstable

Question 7

Stable or Unstable?

Local/Regional Anesthsesia vs. General Anesthesia?

Answer 7

• Local/Regional Anesthsesia = stable
• General Anesthesia = unstable

Question 8

Stable or Unstable?

A/B level Lab abnormalities vs. C/D Lab abnormalities

Answer 8

• A/B level Lab abnormalities = stable
• C/D Lab abnormalities = unstable

Question 9

Stable or Unstable?

What phrases regarding admission/discharge = stable?

Answer 9

• ready for discharge
• to be discharged
• admitted longer than 24hrs ago

Question 10

Stable or Unstable?

What phrases regarding admission/discharge = UNstable?

Answer 10

• Not ready for discharge
• Newly admitted
• Newly diagnosed
• Admitted <24hrs ago

Question 11

Stable or Unstable?

Changing/changed assessments vs. Unchanged assessments

Answer 11

• Changing/changed assessments = Unstable
• Unchanged assessments = Stable

Question 12

Stable or Unstable?

Pt is experiencing:

expected vs. unexected

s/s of the d/x’d disease

Answer 12

• Expected = stable
• Unexpected = unstable

Question 13

What are four things that always make a pt unstable?

(whether expected or not)

Answer 13

1. Hemorrhage (don’t confuse w/ bleeding)
2. High fevers (over 105°) - seizure risk
3. Hypoglycemia (even if its a normal value - it is what they say it is)
4. Pulselessness and breathlessness

Question 14

When is Pulselessness and breathlessness the lowest priority?

Answer 14

Only at the scene of an unwitnessed accident.

Question 15

What is the priority order of Organ Vitality?

Answer 15

1. Brain
2. Lungs
3. Heart
4. Liver
5. Kidney
6. Pancreas

after that, no one agrees