Triage Basics
What is the main purpose of medical triage?
To prioritize patients based on the urgency of their medical needs.
Which triage color represents patients needing immediate medical attention?
Red
Which vital sign measures the number of breaths a person takes per minute?
Respiratory rate.
A patient is walking and has minor cuts on their hands. What initial START color should they receive?
Green — minor, with reassessment afterward.
What does START stand for?
Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment.
Which triage color represents patients with minor injuries who can walk?
Green, initially, under START.
What is the normal resting heart rate range for most healthy adults?
60–100 beats per minute.
A patient cannot walk because of a leg injury. They breathe 22 times per minute, have a radial pulse, and follow commands. What color?
Yellow
What does RPM stand for?
Respiration, Perfusion, Mental Status.
Which color represents patients who need treatment but can safely wait?
Yellow — delayed.
What does the top number in a blood pressure reading represent?
Systolic pressure, the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts.
A nonwalking patient is breathing 35 times per minute. What color should they receive, and why?
Red — their respiratory rate exceeds 30 breaths per minute.
Why is triage especially important during a mass-casualty incident?
Because the number of patients may exceed the available medical resources, so responders must prioritize care.
A patient is not breathing, even after their airway is opened. Which START triage color applies?
Black.
In adult START triage, what respiratory rate makes a nonwalking patient an immediate (red) priority?
More than 30 breaths per minute.
A patient is unconscious and not breathing. After opening their airway, they begin breathing. What color should they receive?
Red — breathing resumed after the airway was opened.
Two patients arrive simultaneously. One has a painful broken wrist, while the other is struggling to breathe. Why should the second patient receive attention first?
Difficulty breathing can be immediately life-threatening. Triage prioritizes medical urgency, not who is experiencing the most pain.
Why can a patient with a serious injury still receive a yellow tag instead of red?
Because an injury can be serious without meeting START's immediate criteria. If breathing, perfusion, and mental status are adequate, a nonwalking patient may be yellow.
Why can checking whether a patient follows simple commands be more useful than knowing their heart rate alone during START triage?
Because mental status is a direct START decision criterion. A patient who cannot follow simple commands is red, even if other measurements seem acceptable.
Two patients cannot walk. Patient A breathes 24 times per minute, has a radial pulse, and follows commands. Patient B breathes 26 times per minute, has a radial pulse, but cannot follow commands. Which patient is red, and why?