Manchester Triage System as a Predictive Model for Early Placement of Peripheral Venous Catheters in a Pediatric Emergency Department: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction

Peripheral venous catheterization is a frequent procedure in pediatric emergency departments. However, a substantial percentage of these catheters remain unused and triage systems could potentially predict catheter utilization. Therefore, this study aimed to correlate the utilization of pediatric peripheral venous catheters with the reason for consultation and the priority level assigned according to the Manchester triage system.

Methods

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the emergency department of Vinalopó University Hospital, Elche, Spain. Medical records of patients aged 0 to 14 from 2010 to March 2024 were analyzed. The study included children who had a peripheral venous catheter placed during their stay in the department.

Results

In 45% of the cases, the peripheral venous catheter was not used after placement. Significant relationships were identified between the reason for consultation and the priority level with catheter utilization (P<.001). Catheters were most frequently used in children presenting with “vomiting” (73.9%), “abdominal pain in children” (62%), and “limb problems” (59.1%). Regarding priority, catheters were more commonly used in children triaged as yellow (urgent priority) (56.2%).

Discussion

Nearly half of the peripheral venous catheters placed in pediatric emergency services may remain unused. Nevertheless, they are more frequently used in children triaged for the consultation reasons of “vomiting,” “abdominal pain in children,” and “limb problems” and those assigned a yellow priority.