Triage and mass casualty management

This session centers on triage and mass casualty management, offering a structured look at the essential principles of triage and mass casualty management, focusing on rapid assessment, patient prioritization, and the use of color coded triage systems. We will discuss effective clinical decision making, communication, and the vital role of predefined protocols for managing resources and coordinating teams under pressure. The importance of leadership, teamwork and regular drills in improving outcomes will also be emphasized, along with strategies for seamless patient transport and care continuity during large scale emergencies. We will explore the crucial topic of triage and mass casualty management, essential skills for healthcare and emergency personnel during large scale incidents. In a mass casualty event, injured individuals often exceed available medical resources. Effective triage enables rapid assessment, sorting, and prioritization of patients to maximize survivors. This process requires clinical decision making, coordination, adaptability, and clear communication with patients and families. Triage uses a color coded system to indicate priority and urgency. Red signals immediate care for life threatening but survivable injuries. Yellow stands for delayed care, serious injuries that are not immediately life threatening and can briefly wait. Green is for minor injuries. These walking wounded can wait or help others. Black indicates expectant care for those deceased or unlikely to benefit from resources.