Triage Categories Flashcards
What mnemonic can be used to remember the four common triage categories?
IDME
IDME stands for Immediate, Delayed, Minor (or Minimal), and Expectant.
What does the red-tag category represent in triage?
Immediate care and transport
Red-tag patients usually have problems with the ABCs, head trauma, or signs and symptoms of shock.
What type of patients fall under the yellow-tag category?
Delayed treatment and transport
Yellow-tag patients usually have multiple injuries to bones or joints, including back injuries.
What defines the green-tag category in triage?
Minimal treatment required
Green-tag patients may require no field treatment or only minimal treatment and are often referred to as the ‘walking wounded’.
What does the black-tag category indicate?
Expectant patients who are dead or have minimal chance of survival
This category may include patients in cardiac arrest or with open head injuries.
What is the priority order for treatment and transport of patients in triage?
Immediate (red), Delayed (yellow), Minimal (green), Expectant (black)
This order reflects the urgency of care needed by each category.
What is the proposed fifth triage category?
Orange-tag category
This category represents an intermediate status between critical (red) and noncritical, nonambulatory (yellow) patients.
What is the purpose of the orange-tag category?
To prioritize ambulatory patients needing prompt evaluation for non-traumatic symptoms
Examples include patients with chest pain or shortness of breath after an event.
How does the New York City Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment system relate to the orange-tag category?
It incorporates the orange tag category
This system may influence other triage systems to adopt similar classifications.
True or False: The minimal (green-tag) patients require immediate medical attention.
False
Minimal patients usually require no field treatment or only minimal treatment.
