Prioritising Paediatric Care in Disasters
The Children's Hospital at Westmead
This project was entered in the 2007 NSW Health Awards, New Risks and Opportunities category.
Contact: Karen Steinhoff
Abstract
In planning for the Operation Caduceus Emergo-train disaster exercise, it became apparent that no appropriate tool existed for triaging children in a disaster situation.
We reviewed our Emergency Department’s (ED) policies and guidelines, other emergency departments’ current practice and the published literature. An expert multidisciplinary panel was established to develop the triage tool.
The tool was developed using physiological criteria adjusted according to four weight groups (A to D). Where weight is not available, height/length is used as a correlation for weight. A ‘triage pole’ was designed and built in order to measure the height/length of casualties.
The triage tool was used during Operation Caduceus in February 2007 and performed well, producing a 92% correlation with the pre-allocated exercise triage.
The full entry document can be downloaded in the formats listed below:
Download the Presentation 
(1.3MB) from the 2007 NSW Health Expo
