A nurse encounters four patients after a mass casualty event. Who should be given the highest triage priority?
A patient with severe respiratory distress
In mass casualty triage (e.g. START), resources are directed to those who need immediate care and are most likely to survive.
A patient with severe respiratory distress has a life-threatening but potentially reversible airway/breathing problem — immediate (red) priority.
A fractured arm and minor lacerations are delayed or minor (yellow/green). A patient with no pulse or respiration in a mass casualty setting is classified as expectant/deceased (black), since resuscitation would divert scarce resources.
Hence, A patient with severe respiratory distress.
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Important Questions from Medical-Surgical Nursing
Which nursing intervention is most appropriate when caring for a patient experiencing an anaphylactic reaction?
A patient has just returned to the ward after abdominal surgery. Which action should the nurse take first to evaluate the effectiveness of respiratory interventions in the immediate postoperative period?
A nurse is monitoring a patient with a colostomy. Which observation requires immediate attention?
Which solution is commonly used for fluid replacement in burn patients?
In a patient with a normal temperature and pulse but low blood pressure, which clinical condition should be considered first?
