What is Triage?
Triage is the prioritization of patient care based on illness/injury, severity, prognosis, and resource availability.
Purpose of Triage.
The purpose of triage is to identify patients needing immediate resuscitation; to assign patients to a predesignated patient care area, thereby prioritizing their care; and to initiate diagnostic/therapeutic measures as appropriate.
Categories of Triage.
Physiological triage tools identify patients into the following categories:
- Those needing immediate lifesaving interventions.
- Those who need significant intervention that can be delayed.
- Those needing little or no treatment.
- Those who are so severely ill or injured that survival is unlikely.