What it means
In a disaster, the aim changes from doing everything for each person to doing the greatest good for the greatest number. Victims are sorted in seconds, often with a system such as START, and tagged by color: red (immediate: life-threatening but survivable with quick care), yellow (delayed: serious but stable), green (minor: the "walking wounded") and black (expectant or dead: not expected to survive with the care available).
For the nurse
Triage again often: a person's color can change. A client in the black group still receives comfort care when resources allow.
Remember it
Red now, yellow soon, green can wait, black cannot be saved with what we have.
At a glance
| Also written | mass-casualty triage, disaster triage |
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Related terms
triage
Sorting clients by how urgently they need care, to decide who is seen first.
emergency response plan
A facility's written plan for what each person does in a disaster or emergency.