The proposed research study will be a prospective observational study designed to validate the Canadian Triage Assessment Scale (CTAS) in regard to work of breathing in patients in the emergency department. The investigators will assess inter-rater agreement between nurses \& emergency physicians for assessment of work of breathing.
Investigators will enroll a convenience sample of consenting patients who present to the emergency department with a chief complaint related to respiratory symptoms, including shortness of breath, cough, difficulty breathing, hypoxemia, or any other respiratory related complaint. Following consent and in a blinded fashion, the nurse \& emergency physician will be asked to evaluate the patient's work of breathing into three subjective categories: mild, moderate, or severe. The two evaluators will not be aware of the others evaluation of the patient. Evaluators will also be asked to predict the patients likely need for intervention \& disposition. Subsequently, investigators will perform a chart review to determine the patient's clinical interventions, outcomes, and dispositions, and evaluate the assessment of the patients work of breathing.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
39
The CTAS incorporates work of breathing into a subjective measurement in its assessment of patients and triaged.
CHRISTUS Spohn Hospital
Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Inter-rater agreement between nurses and emergency physicians for the respiratory component of the Canadian Assessment Scale (CTAS)
The CTAS is utilized to qualitatively define work of breathing as severe, moderate, or mild. Kappa will be calculated to assess inter-rater reliability
Time frame: 24 months
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