MASS CASUALTY TRIAGE

History has shown us time and again that an event can occur that results in a large number of casualties and fatalities. Transportations incidents, industrial accidents, natural disasters and intentional acts create the need for everyone to be aware of the challenges that can be faced during an event where need is greater than a community’s capability to immediately respond. Many individuals receive training on the concept of Mass Casualty Triage and some have applied these skills in either real life or in a drill situation. Regardless of where an event happens, rural hospitals should prepare for a surge of patients as a result of the incident. As such, hospital personnel, EMS, law enforcement, and additional personnel involved with the health care needs of their community need to educate themselves about the potential for mass casualty incidents, the concept of disaster triage, and the challenges that can be faced. In doing so, they begin the process of planning how to mitigate these challenges.

 

This session explores the challenges that go beyond simply working with injured patients. Participants immediately draw upon their personal histories, the communities where they live and work, and their personal professions to identify where they will fit into the response process. Building upon these relationships, workshop attendees then identify specific hazards and challenges that apply to their locale, organization or company. The concept of triage and the standardized triage categories are defined and discussed with examples provided for each that helps to bridge the knowledge gap.

 

The workshop concludes with a brief scenario where participants identify hazards, types of injuries, and challenges that can be expected within their specific organization, hindering an effective response. A triage activity using stuffed animals allows attendees to tangibly apply their learning by sorting a large number of injured according to mass casualty triage protocols. A debriefing afterward brings closure to the workshop.

 

OBJECTIVES

• Discuss priority differences between Hospital (Emergency Department) triage and Mass Casualty Triage

• Demonstrate understanding of the concept of upside down triage

• Describe the reasoning behind the statement "Doing the greatest good for the greatest number possible"

• Demonstrate understanding of standardized triage categories

• Identify hazards that may result in a mass casualty incident

• Demonstrate understanding of how to appropriately fill out and read triage tags

 

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Nurses, Physicians, Physician Extenders, EMS, Allied Health, CNA, Med Tech,

Firefighter, Law Enforcement, Environmental Services, Maintenance, Support Services

WHEN AND WHERE?

These sessions are scheduled on request.
 

HOW TO REGISTER?

NEED MORE INFORMATION?

Contact Leslie Scofield lscofield@unmc.edu 402.552.2529