The START Triage Method
This is the way EMS professionals are taught to rapidly assess patient’s airway, respiration, pulse and mental status while at the scene of a MCI, or multiple casualty incident. After the assessment has been completed, the patient is placed in one of the following four categories:
It is estimated that when working in pairs of two, EMS professionals can effectively triage 1 patient in 30 seconds. One thing that tends to get EMS professionals in trouble at the scene of MCI’s, is they get sucked into treatment. With the START triage method, EMS professionals are very limited to the type of treatment they can provide. The treatment they can provide includes:
What constitutes an “IMMEDIATE” patient classification?
A patient who is critically injured and must be transported as soon as resources allow.
What constitutes a “DELAYED” patient classification?
A severely injured patient who needs evaluation and treatment but may not require immediate transport
What constitutes a “MINOR” patient classification?
Patients requiring minor treatment or prophylactic evaluation
What constitutes a “DECEASED” patient classification?
Remember this simple saying…
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