Level of emergency department (ED) care and disposition (actual disposition vs retrospectively via four triage criteria) for 99 apparently inebriated persons
| Level of care required | ||||||
| n | Admitted | Required ED care* | ECG or radiology testing* | Non-emergency study or treatment (intravenous fluids, meds, blood testing†) | Observation and discharge | |
| Actual disposition | 5 | 13 | 20 | 22 | 39 | |
| Triage criteria (retrospective) disposition | ||||||
| Consensus criteria | ||||||
| ED | 59 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 20 |
| Sobering centre | 40 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 19 |
| Paramedic opinion | ||||||
| ED | 23‡ | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| Sobering centre | 75 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 35 |
| Data driven: age > 55 and pulse > 83 | ||||||
| ED | 48 | 5 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 15 |
| Sobering centre | 51 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 17 | 24 |
| Consensus criteria plus pulse >83 | ||||||
| ED | 81 | 5 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 29 |
| Sobering centre | 18 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
↵* Patients receiving speciality consultation, positive radiology results, suturing of a laceration or charcoal decontamination were considered to have required ED care. Persons with negative radiological examinations were not considered to have required ED care.
↵† Blood testing excludes finger-stick blood glucose and blood alcohol testing.
↵‡ No paramedic opinion was offered for one apparently inebriated person.