The fast-track is an important strategy for the management and control of overcrowding, which is increasingly used in hospital emergency services. This review article aims to identify the main approaches and criteria for analyzing and deciding on the implementation of the fast-track strategy in the Emergency Department. The bibliographic review considered articles published in the Scopus and MedLine databases during the period 2010 and 2020. In general, the bibliographic research showed: the relative scarcity of scientific communication, regarding the implementation of fast-track strategies in hospital management systems; the diversity of the implantation purposes; the preference for modelling and simulation techniques; the difficulty of ex-ante and ex-post evaluation from a social perspective. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the implementation of fast-track strategies, when operational criteria are used, is based on quantitative models and techniques. In Brazil, the efficient management of Emergency Care Units, UPAs 24-h, is essential because the UPAs are a fundamental part of the Brazilian health system.