This presentation explores ICU admission triage, emphasising the rationale and challenges in resource-limited settings. Triage is defined as prioritising patients when ICU resources are constrained. Key justifications for refusal include futility (no incremental benefit), rationing (resource limits), and patient autonomy. Ethical frameworks balance egalitarian ("first-come, first-served") and utilitarian ("greatest benefit for most") approaches. Prognostication tools like the Clinical Frailty Scale and scoring systems aid decision-making, although uncertainties persist. Decisions during crisis situations, such as pandemics, prioritise based on survival likelihood, organ failure, and resource use. The presentation advocates integrating big data to enhance prognostication accuracy and resource management, aiming for equitable, evidence-based triage.
