START TRIAGE HELP
This app is intended to help students learn START Triage.
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Triage in EMS generally describes the process of sorting mass casualty patients based on the severity of their conditions with the intent of prioritizing treatment and maximizing the number of survivors.
START, a mnemonic for simple triage and rapid treatment, is a widely-accepted triage system for adults based on the following 4 color-defined categories:
| Red: | Immediate Care, First Priority |
| Yellow: | Delayed Care, Second Priority |
| Green: | Walking Wounded, Third Priority |
| Black: | Dead or Dying, Lowest Priority |
One mnemonic to help remember START is RPM-30-2-Can Do.
After identifying Green patients by their ability to walk to a designated location (meaning they are alert and oriented), the others are classified according to their Respirations, Perfusion, and Mental status (hence RPM).
Patients who are not breathing and do not start after an attempt to open their airways are classified as Black. If they start breathing, they are classified as Red.
Patients who are spontaneously breathing less than 30 times per minute, have a capillary refill time less than 2 seconds, and can follow simple commands such as "Wiggle your fingers." or "Tell me your name." are classified as Yellow. All other patients are classified as Red.
Some protocols require two attempts to open an airway and in many protocols the capillary refill check has been replaced by a pulse check.
A patient who can walk but is too disoriented to follow directions would be classified as Red.
For patients with naturally occurring disabilities, first responders must refer to their local protocols or use their own judgment.
Of the various triage systems, none is perfect. For example, one can imagine situations in which some patients might have a START classification as Yellow but realistically be better classified as Red. In these cases, first responders must refer to their local protocols or use their own judgment.
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