PRIORITY SCALE - EMERGENCY ROOMS

P1 (priority 1)
Someone whose condition requires immediate intervention by the health care team, because it may be life-threatening or lead to considerable harm.

P2 (priority 2)
Someone requiring immediate care and who must be seen quickly by a physician, because their health condition is life-threatening.

P3 (priority 3)
Someone who must be seen by a physician, because their condition may deteriorate.

P4 (priority 4)
Someone who must be seen by a physician, because their condition has the potential for complications, while time is not a critical factor (investigation and interventions for these cases may be delayed or even referred elsewhere than the emergency department).

P5 (priority 5)
Someone with conditions which may be acute but not urgent, or which may be the result of a chronic problem, without signs of deterioration (investigation and interventions for these cases may be delayed or even referred elsewhere than the emergency department).