Military type triage is designed to provide the most effective care to save the most number of lives. Emphasis is on doing the most amount of good for the largest number of people. It avoids expending large amounts of resources on patients with little chance of survival.
The use of milatary-type triage in civilian disasters in North America will rarely, if ever, be necessary.
Military-Type disaster triage categories are as follows:
Priority 1: The injury is critical, however, it can be cared for with a reasonable amount of time and resources.
Priority 1+: Occassionally this category is added; but it is not universal. These patients have significant injury, will probably not survive, but can be treated before Priority 2 patients.
Priority 2: Injuries are significant, however, the patients will tolerate a short delay with minimal morbidity.
Priority 3: Injuries are sufficiently minor that the patients can tolerate significant delay. Often known as "Walking Wounded".
Expectant: Patients in whom severe injury makes survival highly unlikely even with the use of significant resources.
DEAD: Patients who are unresponsive, pulseless, and apneic are considered dead and no further resources are used.
Patients can usually be assigned to a triage category quickly with assessement of four parameters: Airway, Respiratory Rate, Capillary Refill, and Ability to Follow Commands.
Patients who are able to walk away from the scene do so, and are assigned Priority 3.
Patients who are maintaining an airway, have a Respiratory Rate less than 30, have normal capillary refill, and are able to follow commands are assigned to Priority 2.
Patients without spontaneous respirations who do not respond to simple airway maneuvers are assigned to Expectant.
All other patients are assigned to Priority 1.
A simple flowchart system known as START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) system may also be used.
Download a pdf flowchart here