ED ADMINISTRATION • L’ADMINISTRATION DE LA MU

Revisions to the Canadian Emergency Department

Triage and Acuity Scale Implementation Guidelines

Michael Murray, MD;* Michael Bullard, MD;† Eric Grafstein, MD;‡

for the CTAS§ and CEDIS National Working Groups
F AST - TRACKED ARTICLE . E ARLY ONLINE RELEASE .

Introduction Complaints not listed in the original guidelines were often

compared with others in the list to extrapolate a triage
There has been widespread implementation of the Cana- level. The development and publication of the Canadian
dian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity Scale Emergency Department Information System (CEDIS) Pre-
(CTAS) across Canada since it was introduced in 1999.1,2 senting Complaint List (Version 1.0)9 offers a strong plat-
This consensus document, developed by the CTAS Na- form from which to revise the CTAS. The CEDIS list is
tional Working Group (NWG) of nurse and physician lead- recommended for use in all Canadian EDs, but to support
ers in emergency department (ED) triage, continues to be this recommendation, there is a need to clearly define all
viewed as a dynamic document that requires modification complaint-specific modifiers for each of the CTAS levels.
over time as experience is gained in its application. This Some initial work has been published on the reliability of
article presents the first major modification to the CTAS. the CEDIS Presenting Complaint List, and a modified pre-
senting complaint list, matched to CTAS levels in a com-
Rationale for change puter-assisted triage system, has been evaluated.10,11
Although a number of publications have validated the reli- The original CTAS guidelines recommend a time-to-
ability of the CTAS,3–5 the inter-rater and inter-site reliabil- physician assessment on the basis of triage acuity level.
ity of the scale could be improved through a more objec- However, when the presenting complaint is not specifically
tive approach to the triage acuity assignment. These identified in the guidelines, assigning an acuity level be-
revisions to the CTAS are an attempt to improve on its reli- comes more subjective. The CTAS NWG believed that a
ability and help with standardization. more objective approach was required.
Several publications have also examined the predictive The emphasis on the time-to-nurse and time-to-physi-
validity of CTAS and its correlation with resource utiliza- cian assessment and the lack of understanding of fractile
tion in EDs.6–8 Jiménez and colleagues8 found the scale to response rates for system performance have led to both
be a valid instrument for predicting admission rates, hospi- over- and underestimates of triage level. In some instances,
tal length of stay and diagnostic utilization. the triage level assigned was based on times that were
The CTAS, a 5-level triage scale for classifying the acu- achievable, rather than time responses recommended in the
ity of a patient’s condition, is based primarily on the pa- guidelines. There is therefore a strong urge to move away
tient’s presenting complaint. The original guidelines in- from the concept of prescribed times to initial assessment
cluded a limited number of presenting complaints. because these times are rarely achievable and impediments

From the *Royal Victoria Hospital, Barrie, Ont., and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; the †University of Alberta Hospital, University of
Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.; and ‡St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
§See Appendix 1 for the list of CTAS National Working Group members.

La version française de cet énoncé est disponible sur le site web de l’ACMU; et sera publié dans le numéro de janvier 2005 du JCMU.

Endorsed by the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP), the National Emergency Nurses Affiliation (NENA), l’Association des
médecins d’urgence du Québec (AMUQ), the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS) and the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (SRPC).

Can J Emerg Med 2004;6(6):421-7

November • novembre 2004; 6 (6) CJEM • JCMU 421

Murray et al; for the CTAS and CEDIS National Working Groups

to patient throughput are often beyond ED control. The Initial versus reassessment triage acuity level
CTAS NWG believes that the focus should shift to the The triage assessment and triage acuity level assigned by
timely reassessment of patients waiting to be seen, to en- the triage nurse at the first patient encounter is defined as
sure that unavoidable delays are safe. the CTAS triage level. This initial triage level is based on
Lastly, there is a need to develop a national strategy to the nurse’s assessment of acuity and helps determine the
educate those using the CTAS to improve standardization urgency with which this patient requires care relative to the
and reliability and validity. The timing of this educational other patients waiting to be seen. It also determines the
development dovetails nicely with the revisions to the recommended frequency of reassessment while the patient
guidelines. is waiting. This initial score cannot be changed. The triage
assessment is based on time-limited information. It is not a
Methods final diagnosis; the patient’s condition may improve or de-
teriorate over time.
The experience gained from the development of the pedi- The goal of triage is to identify the patients who need to
atric CTAS (PaedCTAS)12 conceptual framework and edu- be seen first and those who can safely wait. ED waiting
cation program was used to develop an education program times have been increasing, and even those patients triaged
for CTAS use with adult patients. A pilot of this program as CTAS Level II are sometimes required to wait for long
was delivered to a group of nurse educators and nurse periods before being seen because ED beds are not avail-
triage experts in Toronto in December 2003. Their evalua- able. This reality is a major reason for the emphasis on pa-
tions and feedback were used by the CTAS National Edu- tient reassessments in these revised guidelines. It is impor-
cation Subcommittee, which met in January 2004, to im- tant that the patient or their caregiver be instructed to
prove the education program and enhance and increase the contact the triage nurse if the presenting condition worsens
objectivity of the triage process. while the patient is in the waiting area. The safety of wait-
To improve the reliability of the CTAS, the group fo- ing is a shared responsibility between the patient and the
cused on the relative importance and use of the presenting triage nurse. The recommended reassessment time inter-
complaint, vital signs, pain scales and mechanism of injury vals are the same as those in the original guidelines:
in the triage decision. Definitions were agreed upon, the
comprehensiveness of the CEDIS Presenting Complaint • Level I patients should have continuous nursing care
List was reviewed and recommendations were developed • Level II every15 minutes
for the CTAS NWG. Members of the CTAS and CEDIS • Level III every 30 minutes
NWGs were asked to review this before the June 2004 • Level IV every 60 minutes
meeting. The members of these groups represent nurses and • Level V every 120 minutes.
physicians experienced in both pediatric and adult ED
triage and ED information systems, and who are familiar The extent of the reassessment depends on the presenting
with the CEDIS Presenting Complaint List. complaint, the initial triage level and any changes identi-
At the June meeting, 3 subgroups reviewed the CEDIS fied by the patient.
Presenting Complaint List and matched each complaint to Prolonged wait times and the need to warehouse admit-
CTAS acuity levels using the criteria of presenting com- ted patients in the ED often lead to significant changes in
plaint, vital signs, pain scales, mechanism of injury and patient acuity. The same acuity scale may be applied at
other modifiers. The group discussed the recommendations the time of reassessment to establish a “reassessment
of the subgroups and developed a consensus agreement on acuity level,” which should be recorded on the triage
the changes to the CTAS National Guidelines and modifi- record (not altering the initial triage score) as well as any
cations to the CEDIS Presenting Compliant List. action taken. The patient’s status may change because of
changing modifiers associated with the presenting com-
Results and discussion plaint or because the presenting complaint has actually
changed. Should acuity increase upon reassessment, the
The complete revised CTAS document with each CEDIS order of priority of the patients waiting in the ED may
presenting complaint and corresponding CTAS level based change. This demonstrates that the process of triage and
on first- and second-order modifiers can be found at the acuity assignment is dynamic and should involve multi-
Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians Web site ple reassessments and possible reassignments of a CTAS
(www.caep.ca). acuity level.

422 CJEM • JCMU November • novembre 2004; 6 (6)

 Revisions to CTAS Implementation Guidelines

Presenting complaint and first- and second-order tion of the acuity level. In fact, the original guidelines on
modifiers how soon a patient should be seen were, in part, based on
The patient’s presenting complaint remains the primary de- the presence of abnormal vital signs. The CTAS NWG
terminant of the CTAS acuity level. This level, however, has grouped abnormal vital signs under the following cat-
can be altered by the application of specific objective first- egories to help in the assignment of CTAS acuity levels:
and second-order modifiers. The CEDIS Presenting Com- hemodynamic stability, hypertension, temperature, level
plaint List is the foundation upon which the revised CTAS of consciousness and degree of respiratory distress.
guidelines have been developed.
Most presenting complaints can be modified by first-order Hemodynamic stability: Patients with abnormal circula-
modifiers — vital signs, pain scales and mechanism of injury tory vital signs may be assigned CTAS Level I (unstable)
— and by chronicity of the complaint. Chronic recurring or CTAS Level II (potentially unstable). Level I patients
complaints of well recognized problems or acute complaints show signs of shock with evidence of hypoperfusion or of
where the symptoms have completely resolved may be as- progressive deterioration. Level II patients have abnormal
signed one level of acuity lower. For example, patients with vital signs without signs of hypoperfusion or hemody-
abdominal pain or headache with normal vital signs may be namic compromise and without evidence of progressive
assigned a CTAS Level of II, III or IV on the basis of pain worsening (Table 1).
severity, and patients with a chronic or recurring problem of
similar severity may be given CTAS acuity Level III, IV or V. Table 1. CTAS level and hemodynamic stability

Second-order modifiers tend to be specific to the pre- CTAS level Description

senting complaint. For example, chemical injury to the eye I (shock) Evidence of severe end-organ hypoperfu-
is classified CTAS Level II. sion: marked pallor, cool skin, diaphoresis,
weak or thready pulse, hypotension,
postural syncope, significant tachycardia or
The process that has been developed for the assignment of bradycardia, ineffective ventilation or
triage level is as follows: oxygenation, decreased level of conscious-
ness. Could also appear as flushed, febrile,
1. The presenting complaint is determined by the triage toxic, as in septic shock.
nurse early in the triage process. This automatically II Evidence of borderline perfusion: pale,
generates a complaint-specific minimum CTAS level. (hemodynamic history of diaphoresis, unexplained tachy-
2. First-order modifiers are then applied, where appro- compromise) cardia, postural hypotension, by history
(feeling faint on sitting or standing) or
priate, starting with vital signs, which, based on de- suspected hypotension (lower than normal
fined alterations in hemodynamic stability, blood pres- blood pressure or expected blood pressure
for a given patient).
sure, temperature, level of consciousness and degree of
respiratory distress, may change the triage level. III Vital signs at the upper and lower ends of
normal as they relate to the presenting
3. Pain severity is then determined, differentiating cen- complaint, especially if they differ from the
tral versus peripheral and acute versus chronic recur- usual values for the specific patient.
ring pain. The CTAS level assigned is based upon the IV Normal vital signs.
highest level identified by any of the modifiers. For ex-
ample, a patient with normal vital signs may be as- Hypertension: Patients with hypertension may be as-
signed a CTAS Level of III, IV or V based on the pre- signed a CTAS acuity level on the basis of the degree of el-
senting complaint. However, if they have central pain evation and the presence or absence of other symptoms
that is severe, then they would be assigned a CTAS (e.g., headache, nausea, shortness of breath) (Table 2).
Level II on the basis of their pain scale.
4. Mechanism of injury (i.e., high- or low-risk mecha-
nism) is considered for all trauma patients. High-risk Table 2. CTAS level and hypertension

mechanisms translate to an immediate CTAS Level II. CTAS

level Blood pressure, mm Hg Other symptoms
5. Second-order modifiers are also important for spe-
cific complaints to help risk stratify patients, especially II SBP > 220 or DBP > 130 Any symptoms
when first-order modifiers are not definitive. III SBP > 220 or DBP > 130 No symptoms
III SBP 220–200 or DBP 130–110 Any symptoms
IV SBP 220–200 or DBP 130–110 No symptoms
Vital signs
SBP = systolic blood pressure; DBP = diastolic blood pressure.
Vital signs have always been important to the determina-

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Murray et al; for the CTAS and CEDIS National Working Groups

Temperature: An abnormal temperature, as it relates to • Oxygen saturation rate should not be used in isolation.
infectious illness or environmental exposure, may indicate • Two or 3 satisfactory efforts are needed to measure an
a reassessment of CTAS level, but age, outward appear- accurate peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and neither
ance (e.g., hyperdynamic state) and immunocompromised PEFR nor FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 s) mea-
state must be taken into account (Table 3). surements are helpful in estimating acuity in patients
with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Table 3. Temperature and CTAS level • Race- and gender-specific tables should be used.
Temperature, age, condition CTAS level • Whenever possible, individual patient baseline PEFR
values should be used to calculate their percentage pre-
Low temperature
0–3 mo (<36°C) II
dicted at triage.
>3 mo (≤31°C) II
>3 mo (32°–35°C) III Table 4. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score and CTAS
level
Elevated temperature
0–3 mo (>38°C) II GCS
score Description CTAS level
3 mo to 3 yr (>38.5°C)
Immunocompromised* II 3–9 Unconscious: unable to protect I
Looks unwell II airway, response to pain or loud noise
only and without purpose (i.e.,
Looks well III
abnormal posturing or withdrawal
>3 yr (>38.5°C) activity), continuous seizure or
Immunocompromised* II progressive deterioration in level of
Looks unwell† (use other modifiers) II or III consciousness
Looks well‡ (use other modifiers) III or IV 10–13 Altered level of consciousness: II
Adults ≥16 yr (>38.5°C) response inappropriate to verbal
Immunocompromised* II stimuli (localizes to pain only or
Looks septic (hemodynamic compromise) II confused/garbled speech); loss of
orientation to person, place, or time
Looks unwell† III (confusion); new impairment of
Looks well‡ IV recent memory (amnesia); altered
*Neutropenia, transplant, steroids. behaviour (agitation, restlessness)
†Fever and looks unwell (CTAS level III) means looks flushed, is in a hyperdynamic
state (rapid, bounding pulse with a widened pulse pressure) and is anxious, 14–15 Other modifiers should be used to III–V
agitated or confused. define level
‡ Fever and looks well (CTAS level IV) means looks comfortable, in no distress, with
normal pulse quality, and is alert and oriented.

Table 5. Respiratory distress and CTAS level

Level of consciousness: The patient’s Glasgow Coma Level of O2 sat- PEFR CTAS
Scale (GCS) score may be used to determine the CTAS distress Description of patient uration predicted level
level, both in patients who have experienced trauma and Severe Fatiguing from excess- <90% — I
those who have not. It can be used to define CTAS Levels I ive work of breathing,
cyanosis, single-word
and II, but other factors should be used to differentiate the speech, unable to speak,
CTAS level for patients with GCS scores of 14 or 15 upper airway obstruc-
tion, lethargic or con-
(Table 4). The use of the GCS implies that there was a pre- fused
existing GCS score. In patients with dementia and other
Moderate Increased work of breath- <92% <40% II
chronic central nervous system conditions, the GCS is less ing, speaking phrases or predicted
useful than identifying a change from their normal status. clipped sentences, signi-
ficant or worsening stridor
but airway protected
Respiratory distress: Respiratory rate and oxygen satura-
Mild / Dyspnea, tachypnea, 92% 40% to III
tion are useful measures to assess acuity; however, one moderate shortness of breath on to 60%
should note that both can be chronically abnormal. The exertion, no obvious in- 94% predicted
CTAS guidelines provide the following advice when de- creased work of breath-
ing, able to speak in
gree of respiratory distress is being assessed: sentences, stridor with-
• No single factor can be used in isolation; all factors, com- out any obvious airway
obstruction
bined with an evaluation of the work of breathing, should
PEFR = peak expiratory flow rate.
be considered when assigning a CTAS level (Table 5).

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 Revisions to CTAS Implementation Guidelines

Pain severity determination Pain scales rely on patient self-reporting, which is very
The following assumptions should be made when assess- subjective. The CTAS NWG recommends that a consistently
ing pain severity in association with CTAS level: applied and accepted pain scale (such as a 10-point Likert
• certain pain locations are more likely to predict life- scale or 10-cm visual analog scale) be used at triage and that
threatening conditions; the same scale be used for reassessment. Patients may over-
• severe pain may predict a more dangerous problem and or underestimate their pain depending on various factors; cul-
require more timely pain control and definitive inter- tural differences, fear and anxiety or expectations will influ-
ventions; ence the patient’s perception and self-reporting of pain.
• acute pain is more likely to be dangerous than chronic The triage nurse should apply a pain scale and record the
or recurrent pain. patient’s self-reported level of pain. When applying the
Central pain is defined as pain suspected to be originat- pain modifier to determine the final triage score, the triage
ing within a body cavity (head, chest, abdomen) or organ nurse should also consider objective observations. In gen-
(eye, testicle, deep soft tissues), possibly associated with eral, patients should display some physiologic changes as-
life- or limb-threatening conditions. Examples include is- sociated with their pain and appear to be in some degree of
chemic events (acute coronary syndrome, dissecting distress. Patients may have significant pain and deny it, yet
aneurysm, testicular torsion), expanding/obstructing events show overt signs of pain such as tachycardia, facial gri-
(glaucoma, bowel obstruction), irritant events (subarach- macing, distraction and remoteness. Conversely, a patient
noid hemorrhage, bowel perforation) and infectious events may report a high level of pain, yet exhibit no distress or
(necrotizing fasciitis, deep neck infections). physiologic changes. It is important that the triage nurse
Peripheral pain is defined as pain suspected of originat- record both personal observations and the patient’s pain
ing within the skin, soft tissues, axial skeleton or surface of score when arriving at a CTAS level.
superficial organs (eye, ear, nose). Examples include skin
lacerations and abrasions, contusions, fractures (wrist, ribs) Mechanism of injury
and foreign bodies (eye, ear, nose). The mechanism of injury can be used as a modifier, and it
Acute pain is of new onset (first time), whereas chronic alone can determine the CTAS level as Level II when there
pain is suggestive of a well recognized long-term or fre- is a high-risk mechanism. Abnormal vital signs associated
quently recurring pain syndrome that has not changed in pat- with injury are used to define Level I and Level II, and in
tern or nature to create concerns. For example, there is a clear those cases the mechanism of injury would add nothing.
difference in “risk’ and “need for intervention” between a pa- The mechanism of injury is important for stable patients at
tient who falls off a roof and presents with acute back pain (8 risk for a serious injury. High-risk mechanism of injury
out of 10) and the patient with chronic back pain who pre- victims are given a CTAS Level II (see Table 7, p. 426).
sents with the same pain score. The original guidelines in-
cluded these concepts but did not objectify them (Table 6). Other modifiers

Blood glucose level

Table 6. Assessment of pain and CTAS level
Although, historically, a blood glucose determination has
Pain Pain Location Acute v. CTAS
severity score* of pain chronic pain level
not been part of the triage process, it has become necessary
as wait-times continue to increase, even for those more ur-
Severe 8–10 Central Acute II
gent patients. Thus, for patients with diabetes, whose pre-
Chronic III
Peripheral Acute III
senting complaint may be associated with an abnormal
Chronic IV glucose level, a blood sugar reading can be taken to assist
Moderate 4–7 Central Acute III in determining the final triage level (see Table 8, p. 426).
Chronic IV
Peripheral Acute IV Obstetrical presentations
Chronic V The original CTAS implementation guidelines included a
Mild 0–3 Central Acute IV limited list of obstetrical presentations. The revised guide-
Chronic V lines have expanded the list, and this has resulted in addi-
Peripheral Acute V
tions to the CEDIS Presenting Complaint List. There are
Chronic V
different problems, presentations and management issues
*On a 10-point Likert scale.
associated with pregnant patients, depending on how far

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Murray et al; for the CTAS and CEDIS National Working Groups

Table 7. Mechanism of injury and CTAS level

along the pregnancy has progressed (e.g., <20 wk v. >20
Risk CTAS
wk gestation). Specific complaints related to gestational
level Mechanism of injury and examples level age of >20 weeks are shown in Table 9.
High General trauma II
Auto accident: ejection from vehicle,
Table 9. Pregnancy-related presenting complaint
rollover, extrication time >20 min,
(>20 wk gestation) and CTAS level
significant intrusion into passenger’s
space, death in the same passenger CTAS
compartment, impact >40 km/h Presenting complaint level
(unrestrained) or impact >60 km/h
(restrained) Presenting fetal parts or prolapsed cord I
Motorcycle accident where impact with a Vaginal bleeding, 3rd trimester (other than show) I
car >30 km/h, especially if rider is Active labour (contractions <2 min apart) II
separated from bike
No fetal movement II
Pedestrian or bicyclist run over or struck
by vehicle at >10 km/h Complex of hypertension +/- headache +/- edema II
+/- abdominal pain
Fall of >6 m
Post-delivery (mother and child) II
Penetrating injury to head, neck, torso or
extremities proximal to elbow and knee Possible leaking amniotic fluid (>24 h) III
High Head trauma II
Auto accident: ejection from vehicle,
unrestrained passenger striking head on Conclusions
windshield
Pedestrian struck by vehicle This is the first major revision to the CTAS Implementation
Fall from >3 feet or 5 stairs Guidelines since their inception in 1999. It is based on 5
Assault with a blunt object other than fist or
feet
years of collective experience of individuals with expertise
High Neck trauma II
in ED triage, the evidence that exists to date and the con-
Auto accident: ejection from vehicle, roll- sensus of the working group’s members. It remains a living
over, high-speed (esp. if driver unrestrained) document; the CTAS NWG meets yearly to discuss
Motorcycle accident progress, enhancements and plans for any major revisions.
Fall from >3 feet or 5 stairs Comments from users of the CTAS are welcome and may
Axial load to the head
be submitted to ctas@caep.ca.
Low General trauma Use
Auto accident: car-on-car rear-end collision, other Competing interests: None declared.
while coming to a stop, or impact <30 km/h modifiers
and driver restrained Key words: Canadian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity
Low Head trauma Use Scale; CTAS; pain measurement; presenting complaint; trauma
Auto accident: low-impact (<30 km/h) and other severity indicies; triage
driver restrained modifiers
Fall or trip while standing on the ground Acknowledgements: We recognize the contribution of the authors
Fist fight or blow to head (excluding with
of the original CTAS Implementation Guidelines and all of the
pointed or heavy object) with no loss of CTAS and CEDIS working group members who helped develop
consciousness these revised guidelines.
Low Neck trauma Use
Simple rear-end collision (car-on-car), driver other References
ambulatory after injury (driver not modifiers
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or delayed onset of neck pain G, et al. Canadian Emergency Department Triage and Acuity
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suppl):S2-28.
Table 8. Blood glucose and CTAS levels
2. Beveridge R. CAEP Issues. The Canadian Triage and Acuity
Blood
Scale: a new and critical element in health care reform. Cana-
glucose level Symptoms CTAS level
dian Association of Emergency Physicians. J Emerg Med
<3 mmol/L Confusion, diaphoresis, II 1998;16:507-11.
behavioural change, seizure
None III 3. Manos D, Petrie DA, Beveridge RC, Walter S, Ducharme J.
>18 mmol/L Dyspnea, dehydration, weakness II Inter-observer agreement using the Canadian Emergency De-
partment Triage and Acuity Scale. Can J Emerg Med
None III
2002;4(1);16-22.

426 CJEM • JCMU November • novembre 2004; 6 (6)

 Revisions to CTAS Implementation Guidelines

4. Beveridge R, Ducharme J, Janes L, Beaulieu S, Walter S. Re- linked triage system in an urban emergency department. Can J
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Force members. Canadian Paediatric Triage and Acuity Scale:
6. Stenstrom R, Grafstein E, Innes G, Christenson J. Real-time pre- implementation guidelines for emergency departments. Can J
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7. Murray MJ, Levis G. Does triage level (Canadian Triage and

Correspondence to: Dr. Michael J. Murray, Medical Director, Emergency
Acuity Scale) correlate with resource utilization for emergency
Services, Royal Victoria Hospital, 201 Georgian Dr., Barrie ON L4M 6M2;
department visits? [abstract]. Can J Emerg Med 2004;6(3):180.
murraym@rvh.on.ca or ctas@caep.ca
8. Jiminez JG, Murray MJ, Beveridge R, Pons JP, Cortes EA, Fer-
nando Garrigos JB, et al. Implementation of the Canadian Emer- Appendix 1. CTAS National Working Group
gency Department Triage and Acuity Scale in the Principality of
Andorra: Can triage parameters serve as emergency department Andrew Affleck (CAEP), François Bélanger (CAEP), Jerry Bell
quality indicators? Can J Emerg Med 2003;5(5):315-22. (NENA), Bruno Bernardin (AMUQ), Michael Bullard (CAEP),
Debbie Cotton (NENA), Jonathan Dreyer (CAEP), Valerie
9. Grafstein E, Unger B, Bullard M, Innes G, for the Canadian Eden (NENA), Eric Grafstein (CAEP), Brian Holroyd (CAEP),
Emergency Department Information System (CEDIS) Working Grant Innes (CAEP), D. Anna Jarvis (CPS), Trina Larsen Soles
Group. Canadian Emergency Department Information System (SRPC), Louise LeBlanc (NENA), Michael Murray, Chair (CAEP),
Charles Norman (CAEP), Wes Palatnik (CAEP), Julien Poitras
(CEDIS) Presenting Complaint List (Version 1.0). Can J Emerg
(AMUQ), Carla Policicchio (NENA), Brian Rowe (CAEP), Doug
Med 2003;5(1):27-34.
Sinclair (CAEP), Karl Stobbe (SRPC), Jim Thompson (CAEP),
Bernard Unger (CAEP), Alain Vadeboncoeur (AMUQ), Pat
10. Grafstein E, Innes G, Westman J, Christenson J, Thorne A. Walsh (NENA), David Warren (CPS)
Inter-rater reliability of a computerized presenting-complaint-

November • novembre 2004; 6 (6) CJEM • JCMU 427