The nurse is triaging victims at the site of a mass casualty incident. Which victim should be seen first?

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11ecbb05_cbbc_eeec_b433_9df1ab20734c_MD0009_00 During a mass casualty event, the goal of the nurse is to triage rapidly and provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Clients are commonly triaged using a color-coded system and placed into four categories. When prioritizing clients for treatment, emergent needs should be managed first followed by urgent and nonurgent needs. If no clients are identified as having emergent needs, clients with urgent needs (eg, open fractures with palpable pulses) should be treated first (Option B). (Options A and C) Clients who are expectant due to the severity of their injuries (eg, severe neurological trauma, full-thickness burns >60% total body surface area) are the lowest priority for treatment. However, the nurse should provide palliative care, if possible, while addressing the needs of others. (Option D) Clients with nonurgent needs (eg, minor lacerations) should receive treatment after emergent and urgent clients. Educational objective: During mass casualty events, the goal is the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Clients are triaged rapidly using a color-coded system that ranks them from highest medical priority to lowest: red (emergent), yellow (urgent), green (nonurgent), and black (expectant).

The Nurse Is Triaging Victims at the Site of a Mass