Triage

Sorting patients by severity and urgency of care

Definition

Triage is the systematic process of sorting patients according to the urgency of their condition to allocate resources and prioritize care, especially when resources are limited.

Emergency Department Triage

Emergent (Red): Life-threatening; requires immediate intervention (cardiac arrest, active hemorrhage, stroke, respiratory failure).
Urgent (Yellow): Serious, requires care within 30 to 60 minutes (chest pain stable, severe pain, fracture).
Non-urgent (Green): Stable, minor illness (sprains, colds).
Expectant (Black): Expected to die; resources diverted during mass casualty.

Field Triage (Mass Casualty)

START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) or ESI (Emergency Severity Index) systems.

Nursing Considerations

Continuously reassess patients (conditions change). Communicate clearly. Prioritize ABCs.

NCLEX Relevance

ABCs first, then unstable/life-threatening, then severe but stable.