TABLE 30.

Triage levels¹⁷⁴

On-site triage (level 1)

• Rapid categorization of victims with potentially severe injuries needing immediate medical care “where they are lying” or at a triage site

• Personnel are typically first responders from the local population or local emergency medical personnel

• Patients characterized as “acute” or “nonacute”

• Simplified color coding may be done if resources permit: acute = red, nonacute = green

Medical triage (level 2)

• Rapid categorization of victims at a casualty site by the most experienced medical personnel available to identify the level of medical care needed

• “The greatest good for the greatest number of people”

• Knowledge of the medical consequences of various injuries (eg, burn, blast, or crush injuries or exposure to chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons) is critical

• Color coding may be used:

RED	URGENT	Casualties who require immediate life-saving interventions (airway, breathing, circulation)
YELLOW	DELAYED or EXPECTANT	Casualties who do not require immediate life-saving interventions and for whom treatment can be delayed. Casualties who are not expected to survive due to the severity of injuries complicated by the conditions and lack of resources
GREEN	MINOR	Individuals who require minimal or no medical care
BLACK	DECEASED

Evacuation (level 3)

• Level 3 triage assigns priorities to disaster victims for transfer to medical facilities

• Goal is appropriate evacuation (by air or land) of victims according to injury severity and available resources

• Same medical personnel as in level 2 triage