Ability of the Physiologic Criteria of the Field Triage Guidelines to Identify Children Who Need the Resources of a Trauma Center

The authors conducted a structured medical record review of children =15 years old that were transported to trauma centers in 3 midsize cities to determine the accuracy of the Physiologic Criteria (Step 1) of the Field Triage Guidelines in identifying injured children who need the resources of a trauma center. They concluded that the Physiologic Criteria are a moderate predictor of trauma center need, and their predictive value may have been limited by inaccurate or missing vital signs.