Conference abstract

Implementing the first standardised and validated paediatric triage system at a national hospital in Guinea Bissau

Pan African Medical Journal - Conference Proceedings. 2018:9(15).13 Aug 2018.
doi: 10.11604/pamj-cp.2018.9.15.742
Archived on: 13 Aug 2018
Contact the corresponding author
Keywords: Emergency room, paediatric triage, A,B,C,D (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability), Guinea-Bissau
Poster

Implementing the first standardised and validated paediatric triage system at a national hospital in Guinea Bissau

Tomas Mendez Quintin1,&, Rocaspana Moncayo Mercè2, Luraschi Danila1, Valle del Barrio Beatriz1

1Médecins Sans Frontières, OCBA, Guinea-Bissau Mission, Guinea-Bissau, 2Médecins Sans Frontières, OCBA, Barcelona, Spain

&Corresponding author
Tomas Mendez Quintin, Médecins Sans Frontières, OCBA, Guinea-Bissau Mission, Guinea-Bissau

Abstract

Introduction: Guinea-Bissau is situated on the west coast of Sub-Saharan Africa; the country population is very young: 44% under 15 years old. Simâo Mendes National Hospital, run by the Ministry of Health (MoH), is the only tertiary level facility and therefore the reference hospital for the whole country. Paediatric emergency room (ER) did not have a proper triage system before the beginning of MSF support in January 2017.

Methods: the implemented triage is based on A,B,C,D (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability) system, respecting MSF-OCBA paediatric guidelines. Patients are triaged in 3 colour categories (severe to mild: red, yellow and green). Red and Yellow are immediately forwarded to MSF supported ER and mild patients are referred to the MoH outpatient department (OPD). Initial training lasted 14 days and included 14 doctors and 18 nurses (both MSF and MoH staff).

Results: during the first 6 intervention months 19,668 children were screened, resulting: 1.35% red, 12.45% yellow and 86.2% green. Mortality rate < 24h was 0.48%. Admission rates from ER: 51.84% to observation room and 31.81% to general paediatrics and 14.59% to the paediatric or neonatal intensive care unit. Only 1.76% of “triaged severe” returned home right after being treated in ER MSF.

Conclusion: this was a successful triage implementation that benefited from staff motivation, close collaboration with MoH and standardized, user-friendly algorithms and organisation.