under-triage
The failure to appropriately activate trauma team resources for patients who actually require the highest level of trauma care.
Full Definition
Under-triage represents the most serious form of triage error, occurring when critically injured patients do not receive appropriate trauma team activation and resources. This results in delayed recognition of serious injuries and can significantly impact patient outcomes. The American College of Surgeons recommends that under-triage rates should not exceed 5%. Under-triage is often more difficult to detect than over-triage as it requires retrospective analysis to identify missed activation opportunities. In editorial contexts, under-triage discussions focus on patient safety, quality improvement, and the development of more sensitive activation criteria while managing the trade-off with over-triage rates.
Usage
Usage note: Always hyphenate; considered more serious than over-triage in clinical contexts.
In Context
- "Under-triage rates exceeding 5% warrant immediate review of activation protocols." — Quality assurance manual
- "The patient's deterioration highlighted a case of under-triage requiring root cause analysis." — Morbidity and mortality conference