Triage derived from the French verb trier meaning to sort or to choose.

. Its the process by which patients are classified according to the type and urgency of their conditions to get the Right Patient to the Right Place at the Right Time with the Right Care Provider. Role of Triage Nurse 1. Greet patients and identify yourself. 2. Maintain privacy and confidentiality 3. Visualize all incoming patients eve while interviewing others. 4. Maintain good communication between triage and treatment area. 5. Use all resources to maintain high standard of care. TYPES OF TRIAGE 1. Simple triage - is usually used in a scene of an accident or "mass-casualty incident" (MCI), in order to sort patients into those who need critical attention and immediate transport to the hospital and those with less serious injuries. The categorization of patients based on the severity of their injuries can be aided with the use of printed triage tags or coloured flagging. 2. Advanced triage - In advanced triage, doctors may decide that some seriously injured people should not receive advanced care because they are unlikely to survive. Advanced care will be used on patients with less severe injuries. Because treatment is intentionally withheld from patients with certain injuries, advanced triage has ethical implications. It is used to divert scarce resources away from patients with little chance of survival in order to increase the chances of survival of others who are more likely to survive. For rapid classification for the subsequent evacuation of color codes are used universally accepted, and usually are assigned to those injured by a system of coded cards. Each card should contain as much as possible the following information: 1. Name and address of the patient. 2. Age and sex. 3. Identify on a diagram the injured areas. 4. Record the administration of medications, routes and time. 5. Place the name of the person doing the triage GREEN - They do not require immediate transfer to hospital because their injuries can be treated at the scene. Minor injuries: No risk to your life Abrasions, minor fractures, contusions Minor burns (burns less than 15%) YELLOW - Burns over 30% of body surface involved. Burns complicated by major injuries or fractures. Burns involving critical areas as hands, feet, face, no airway problem. Moderate blood loss (500 cc). Back injuries with or without spinal cord damage. Conscious patients with brain damage (mental confusion, subdural hematoma)

A subdural hematoma is a form of traumatic brain injury. Blood gathers within the outermost meningeal layer, between the dura mater, which adheres to the skull, and the arachnoid mater, which envelops the brain. May cause an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP), which can cause compression of and damage to delicate brain tissue. RED - Patients with serious injuries, and have a good chance of survival if they are treated in hospital immediately. Require PRIORITY EVACUATION. Respiratory problems not correctable in the same place. Cardiac arrest (which is seen at the time). significant loss of blood (1 liter). Loss of consciousness. Drilling thoracic or abdominal puncture wounds. Some severe fractures (pelvis, chest, vertebrae). Burns complicated by commitment at the airway. CSF output by ear or nose. Rapid rise in systolic pressure. Bilious vomiting. Weak motor reaction to sensory stimulation. BLACK People who have died in the place. (NOT EVACUATE) USA Immediate (RED): The casualty requires immediate medical attention and will not survive if not seen soon. Any compromise to the casualty's respiration, hemorrhage control, or shock control could be fatal. Delayed (YELLOW): The casualty requires medical attention within 6 hours. Injuries are potentially life-threatening, but can wait until the immediate casualties are stabilized and evacuated. Minimal (GREEN): "Walking wounded," the casualty requires medical attention when all higher priority patients have been evacuated, and may not require stabilization or monitoring. Expectant (BLACK): The casualty is expected not to reach higher medical support alive without compromising the treatment of higher priority patients. Care should not be abandoned, spare any remaining time and resources after Immediate and Delayed patients have been treated. Afterwards, casualties are given an evacuation priority based on need: URGENT: Evacuation is required within two hours to save life or limb. PRIORITY: Evacuation is necessary within four hours or the casualty will deteriorate to "Urgent". ROUTINE: Evacuate within 24 hours to complete treatment. Field assessments are made by two methods: PRIMARY SURVEY (used to detect & treat life-threatening injuries) and SECONDARY SURVEY (used to treat non-life threatening injuries).

GERMANY 1. RED - (Acute dander for life) Immediate treatment, transport as soon as possible. Arterial lesions, internal hemorrhage, major amputations. 2. YELLOW - (Severe injury) Constant observation and rapid treatment, transport as soon as practical. Minor amputations, flesh wounds, fractures and dislocations. 3. GREEN - (Minor injury or no injury) Treatment when practical, transport and/or discharge when possible. Minor lacerations, sprains, abrasions. 4. BLUE - (No or small chance of survival) Observation and if possible administration of analgesics. Severe injuries, uncompensated blood loss, negative neurological assessment. 5. BLACK - (Deceased) Collection and guarding of bodies, identification when possible. Dead on arrival, no spontaneous breathing after clearing of airway. Raccoon eyes or periorbital ecchymosis is a sign of basal skull fracture, a craniotomy that ruptured the meninges, or (rarely) certain cancers. Bilateral subconjunctival hemorrhage occurs when damage at the time of a facial fracture tears the meninges and causes the venous sinuses to bleed into the arachnoid villi and the cranial sinuses. In layman's terms, blood from skull fracture seeps into the soft tissue around the eyes. Raccoon eyes may be accompanied by Battle's sign, an ecchymosis behind the ear.