External validation of the TFC (triage frailty and comorbidity) tool: a prospective observational study.

Arian Zaboli, Serena Sibilio, Gloria Brigiari, Magdalena Massar, Marta Parodi, Gabriele Magnarelli, Francesco Brigo, Gianni Turcato

Abstract readObservational Study

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In one paragraph

Observational study in Internal and emergency medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Arian ZaboliInnovation, Research and Teaching Service, SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU), Via A. Volta, 13°, Bolzano, Italy. zaboliarian@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-4204-8884

Serena SibilioDepartment Public Health, Institute of Nursing Science, Universitat Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

Gloria BrigiariUnit of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Cardiac, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, ThoracicPadua, Italy.

Magdalena MassarInnovation, Research and Teaching Service, SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU), Via A. Volta, 13°, Bolzano, Italy.

Marta ParodiDepartment of Internal Medicine, Intermediate Care Unit, Hospital Alto Vicentino (AULSS-7), Santorso, Italy.

Gabriele MagnarelliDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Hospital of Merano-Meran (SABES-ASDAA), Merano-Meran, Italy.

Francesco BrigoInnovation, Research and Teaching Service, SABES-ASDAA), Teaching Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical Private University (PMU), Via A. Volta, 13°, Bolzano, Italy.

Gianni TurcatoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Intermediate Care Unit, Hospital Alto Vicentino (AULSS-7), Santorso, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Assessing patient frailty during triage evaluations has become increasingly relevant in Emergency Departments (ED). This study aimed to externally validating the Triage Frailty and Comorbidity (TFC) tool. This prospective study was conducted from June 1 to December 31, 2023. During this period, 12 triage nurses applied the TFC tool during triage evaluation of ED patients. We used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Decision Curve Analysis to assess the predictive ability of the TFC tool for a 90-day mortality (the same endpoint used during tool development) and a 30-day mortality. 1270 patients were included and 56 of them died within 90 days. The TFC tool had an AUROC of 0.894 (0.858-0.929) for 90-day mortality and 0.885 (0.834-0.938) for 30-day mortality. In Decision Curve Analysis, it yielded higher net benefits up to a threshold probability of 0.30. The externally validated TFC tool appears very effective at identifying patients with increased risk of 90-day mortality after ED attendance. It could be implemented in clinical practice and enhance the predictive ability of standard triage systems.

Indexed as

ComorbidityFrailtyTriageAgedAged, 80 and overEmergency Service, HospitalFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRisk AssessmentROC CurveComorbidityEmergency departmentEmergency medicineEmergency nursingFrailtyManchester triage systemTriage

Identifiers

PMID39240411

DOI10.1016/j.emc.2020.04.001

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.