Introduction:

Categorizing surgical emergencies is necessary due to the continued imbalance between the supply and demand of surgical services in most institutions where the service is enabled. There are approaches to the subject, with strategies for prioritizing surgical cases, which consider scales and flowcharts, but their lack of external validity and the particularities of the institutions and insurers have limited the generalization of the results.

Methods:

A conceptualization of the triage of surgical emergencies is carried out with critical and reflective approaches supported by evidence. Potential research opportunities are also identified.

Discussion:

The potential benefits of surgical triage in emergent situations are extensive to all health system actors, reducing the possibility of adverse outcomes and economic repercussions for institutions and insurers. Queuing theory offers support for understanding the issue and contributes to solutions. However, its adoption is scarce in an emergency as part of a local surgical prioritization strategy.

Conclusion:

The creation of strategies that establish triage for the patient with a surgical emergency is influenced by the continuous and effective participation of the actors involved in the process and its impact on clinical outcomes.

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