Triage

Priority

• Patients who require lifesaving care within a short period of time.
• Emergency care must be available and of short duration
• This care may include emergency measures that are performed within a few minutes time such as intubation or antidote administration

• Unconscious
• Talking but unable to walk
• Moderate to severe effects of two or more organs or systems (i.e., respiratory, GI, etc.)

• Seizing or post-ictal
• Severe respiratory distress
• Cardiac arrest (recovered)

• Patients with severe injuries in need of major surgery, require hospitalization, or other care, but a delay in care will not adversely affect the outcome of this patient i.e. internal stabilization of a fracture.

• Recovering from recent exposure or antidote administration

• Diminished secretions
• Improving or stable respiratory status

• Patients who have minor injuries who can be helped by non-medical personnel and who won't require hospitalization

• Walking and talking

• Miosis
• Rhinorrhea
• Mild to moderate dyspnea

• Patients with severe life threatening who probably would not survive even with the best of medical attention.
• Patients with injuries that require attention from many medical personnel but low chance of survival does not justify the use of limited medical resources.
• As this mass casualty event changes, these patients may be re-triaged once additional medical resources become available.

• Unconscious

• Cardiac arrest
• Respiratory arrest