Abstract
Background: The triage system is an essential tool in emergency departments, as it allows for prioritizing care based on the patient's clinical severity. However, its effectiveness depends on the correct application and use of the method.. The National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) has proven useful for the early detection of clinical deterioration through measurable physiological parameters. Methods: An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted in a public hospital with on-demand care. A total of 100 adult patient records were randomly selected. The categories assigned by the conventional triage were compared with those obtained using the NEWS2 score to assess the concordance between both systems. Results: concordance of 70.7 % was observed between the triage classification and the NEWS2 scoring. The extreme levels (green and red) showed greater correspondence, while the intermediate cases (yellow) presented greater variability in risk assignment. Conclusion: The current triage system shows adequate performance; however, the incorporation of the NEWS2 score could provide a more objective and standardized assessment, improving early detection of clinical deterioration and optimizing prioritization of emergency care.
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