Mass casualty triage in the chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear environment

Field trauma triage systems currently used by emergency responders at mass casualty incidents and disasters do not adequately account for the possibility of contamination of patients with chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear material. Following a discussion of background issues regarding mass casualty triage schemes, this paper proposes chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear-compatible trauma triage algorithms, based on a review of the literature and the input of recognized content experts. A basic trauma triage template is first proposed, with patient assessment limited to ability to walk, presence of breathing, and ability to follow commands. This template is then modified for use in chemical, biological, and radiation/nuclear situations in which the exposed or contaminated victims have also sustained conventional trauma. The proposed algorithms will need further refinement and testing. (C) 2005 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.