Triaging suicidal patients: Sifting through the evidence

Abstract 

The triaging of individuals who present to general hospital emergency departments with suicidal thoughts and behaviours is especially challenging and fraught with uncertainty. Although the suicide literature is vast, and risk factor research has a long history, there is a dearth of articles that address the “point of care” factors that need to be considered in triaging a suicidal patient. In order to address this dilemma for nurses performing the triage function, this paper is a targeted review of the suicide risk factor literature designed to discern factors that may have implications for making a triage determination with the intent of improving the accuracy and quality of triage for suicidal patients. Contextual and compositional factors suggesting long-term risk; situational, precipitating, factors that may impact one’s immediate risk; and cues and clues to imminent risk are presented along with evidence-based suggestions for assessment and safety.

Keywords: Suicidal presentations, Emergency department triage, Assessment, Risk factors