For a serious or urgent injury or illness, go straight to the emergency triage desk and don't line up at the registration window

Cost

Free. Walk a few more steps after you enter to find the triage desk. State the most dangerous symptom in one sentence.

What you get

The National Health Commission's 2024 emergency medicine quality control indicators require pre-exam triage in emergency care to “sort patients into four levels by the seriousness of their condition.” “Level I is critical and life-threatening, requiring immediate treatment.” “Level II is urgent and serious, where assessment and treatment often happen at the same time.” “Level III is urgent, requiring diagnosis and treatment within a short time.” “Level IV is non-urgent or sub-urgent, seen in order in the general treatment area.” Pre-exam triage means a designated person first assesses how serious your condition is when you enter the emergency department, and sets the order of care. Beijing's implementation standard spells out the response required at each level. Level 1: “immediate assessment and treatment; the patient is sent to the resuscitation room or rescue room.” Level 2: “immediate monitoring of vital signs, treatment within 10 minutes, the patient is sent to the rescue room.” Level 3: “treated ahead of Level 4 patients, and waits in the general treatment area; if the wait is longer than 30 minutes, a reassessment is needed.” Level 4: “seen in order; unless the condition changes, the wait is longer; if the wait is longer than 4 hours, a reassessment is possible.” Triage must “keep to the principle that critical and life-threatening cases are seen first,” and the emergency department entrance should have a pre-exam triage area in a prominent place (the four-level standard is nationwide; the response times are Beijing's standard).

Notes

The four levels are the same nationwide. How soon each level is handled is set by each province and city; Beijing's is a version that can be checked word for word. The level is set by heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen and symptoms, not by how much pain you feel. The hard criteria for Level 1 include the following. First, heart rate above 180 beats per minute or below 40 beats per minute. Second, systolic pressure below 70 mmHg; systolic pressure is the higher number in a blood pressure reading. Third, blood oxygen below 80%. Fourth, shock, a clear heart attack, or sudden impairment of consciousness. If you feel triage has put you too low, add the most dangerous symptom and say it clearly. If your condition changes while you wait, go back to the triage desk right away to be assessed again. When it is truly critical, calling 120 (China's ambulance number) is faster than going yourself, because the pre-hospital doctor will set a level using the same standard and notify the hospital in advance to prepare (see §13).

Evidence grade

A : Specific numbers from meta-analyses, large cohorts or randomized trials; for law and policy, the statute or official text.

Sources

1. 国家卫生健康委办公厅 (2024). 关于印发急诊医学等 6 个专业医疗质量控制指标（2024 年版）的通知（国卫办医政函〔2024〕150 号）附件 1，指标四「急诊分级分诊执行率」. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202405/content_6951260.htm
2. 北京市卫生健康委员会 (2019). 北京市加强急诊预检分诊分级工作方案及附件《北京市医院急诊预检分诊分级标准（试行）》：「坚持急危重症优先就诊原则。按照患者病情的严重程度，遵循从重到轻、从病情迅速变化到相对稳定的原则，合理安排患者就诊顺序。」「在急诊科入口的显著位置，设置急诊预检分诊区域」. http://wjw.beijing.gov.cn/zwgk_20040/ylws/201912/t20191216_1242338.html

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 24, tip 7. This section is about health and medicines. It is general information, not a substitute for a doctor’s diagnosis or prescription. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer