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Medicine vocabulary · Hospital Departments and Staff

Triage

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˈtriːɑːʒ/nounCommon term

In medicine, triage means: The process of quickly assessing patients to decide who needs treatment first, based on how serious their condition is.

In Turkish: triyaj, önceliklendirme

How it is used

Done by trained nurses or doctors in emergency departments, by phone and at major incidents. Patients are sorted into categories or colours. It is also a verb: 'She was triaged as urgent.'

Example sentences

  1. At triage his oxygen saturation was 88%, so he was seen immediately.

  2. The triage nurse sent her straight to the resus area.

Common collocations

  • triage nurse
  • triage category
  • telephone triage
  • triaged as urgent
  • emergency departmentThe hospital department, open 24 hours a day, that treats people with sudden illness or injury who need urgent care.
  • vital signsThe basic body measurements checked to see how ill a patient is: temperature, pulse, breathing rate and blood pressure, and often oxygen level.
  • red flagA symptom or sign that suggests a serious cause, such as cancer or a spinal problem, and needs urgent attention or tests.
  • on callAvailable to be contacted and to come and help if needed, especially outside normal working hours, such as at night or at weekends.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Hospital Departments and Staff

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.