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Aim: Aim of this study is to identify signs and symptoms associated with identifying critically ill patients by rapid triage assessment performed by nurses in an emergency department. Background: In some emergency services, the immediate assessment of critically ill patients occurs before opening the hospital formal registration and it is based on the nurse's experience. Studies on the topic are essential to improve this process. Design This is a cross‐sectional, quantitative study. Methods: This study was conducted in a Brazilian emergency department in 2017. Adult patients who presented potentially life‐threatening symptoms underwent rapid triage to determine the medical urgency. Those identified as being critically ill were classified as high priority and streamed to the emergency room. Results: A total of 154 (84.6%) patients were classified as high priority from the total of 182 evaluations. Altered state of consciousness (35.2%) and altered skin perfusion (25.3%) were frequently identified. Signs and symptoms associated with identifying critically ill patients by rapid triage were alterations in ventilation (OR 6.09; p = 0.028), neurological dysfunction (OR 44.96; p < 0.001) and pain (OR 5.80; p = 0.004). Conclusion: Nurses should value neurological and ventilation alterations and pain in patients during rapid triage, since these signs and symptoms are associated with high care priority. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Research carried out in different countries highlights the importance of triage and risk classification systems, especially in the context of overcrowding in the emergency department.The time that a critically ill patient waits to receive effective treatment is one of the most significant predictors of unsatisfactory clinical outcomes.There are very few studies which have utilized a simple quick‐look method of triage in relation to other studies which commonly used a five‐level triage system in the emergency department. What this paper adds? In this study, we analysed the rapid triage performed by emergency nurses of patients' self‐reporting severe complaints in the emergency department.The results showed that some signs and symptoms identified by nurses during the rapid triage were associated with identifying critically ill patients in the emergency department.Knowing characteristics of rapid triage is essential to direct strategies for improvement in the early and safe identification of critically ill patients who seek care in the emergency service, enhancing the chances of survival. The implications of this paper for practice: Emergency nurses must remain vigilant for acute alterations in patient neurological, respiratory and pain status, as these may potentially herald critical illness and poor patient outcomes.Early detection of patients with critically illness optimizes utilization of finite resources and stabilizes care flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even after over 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, research on rapid, inexpensive, and accurate tests remains essential for controlling and avoiding the global spread of SARS-CoV-2 across the planet during a potential reappearance in future global waves or regional outbreaks. Assessment of serological responses for COVID-19 can be beneficial for population-level surveillance purposes, supporting the development of novel vaccines and evaluating the efficacy of different immunization programs. This can be especially relevant for broadly used inactivated whole virus vaccines, such as CoronaVac, which produced lower titers of neutralizing antibodies. and showed lower efficacy for specific groups such as the elderly and immunocompromised. We developed an impedimetric biosensor based on the immobilization of SARS-CoV-2 recombinant trimeric spike protein (S protein) on zinc oxide nanorod (ZnONR)-modified fluorine-doped tin oxide substrates for COVID-19 serology testing. Due to electrostatic interactions, the negatively charged S protein was immobilized via physical adsorption. The electrochemical response of the immunosensor was measured at each modification step and characterized by scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical techniques. We successfully evaluated the applicability of the modified ZnONR electrodes using serum samples from COVID-19 convalescent individuals, CoronaVac-vaccinated with or without positive results for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and pre-pandemic samples from healthy volunteers as controls. ELISA for IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was performed for comparison, and ELISA for IgG anti-RBDs of seasonal coronavirus (HCoVs) was used to test the specificity of immunosensor detection. No cross-reactivity with HCoVs was detected using the ZnONR immunosensor, and more interestingly, the sensor presented higher sensitivity when compared to negative ELISA results. The results demonstrate that the ZnONRs/spike-modified electrode displayed sensitive results for convalescents and vaccinated samples and shows excellent potential as a tool for the population's assessment and monitoring of seroconversion and seroprevalence.