Triage in Mass Casualties — MCQs
Which color indicates the highest priority in triage?
In the TRIAGE system for disaster management, which of the following color codes denotes "high-priority treatment and/or transfer"?
Ambulatory patients after a disaster are categorized into what color of triage?
Which of the following statements about triage priority classification is TRUE?
In immediate disaster response management (first 24-48 hours), which of the following is not typically practiced?
Patients are categorized on the basis of chances of survival in Disaster management:
Black color code is used in four color code systems of triage management in disaster for:
Which vaccine is effective for mass vaccination post-disaster?
Black colour in triage is for -
In triage, which category of patients is classified as green?
Triage in Mass Casualties Indian Medical PG Practice Questions and MCQs
Question 1: Which color indicates the highest priority in triage?
- A. Red (Correct Answer)
- B. Yellow
- C. Green
- D. Black
Explanation: ***Correct: Red*** - The color **red** is universally used in triage systems to designate the **highest priority** patients, indicating immediate threats to life or limb. - Patients triaged as red require **immediate intervention** and transport to maximize their chances of survival. *Incorrect: Yellow* - **Yellow** indicates a **delayed priority**, meaning patients have serious injuries but their conditions are not immediately life-threatening. - These patients can typically wait for a few hours before receiving definitive medical care. *Incorrect: Green* - **Green** is assigned to patients with **minor injuries** or illnesses that are unlikely to deteriorate over time. - They are considered walking wounded and can often wait for an extended period or be treated with minimal resources. *Incorrect: Black* - **Black** signifies **deceased** or expectant patients, indicating those whose injuries are so severe that survival is unlikely given the available resources. - Resources are typically withheld from these patients to prioritize those with a higher chance of survival.
Question 2: In the TRIAGE system for disaster management, which of the following color codes denotes "high-priority treatment and/or transfer"?
- A. Red (Correct Answer)
- B. Black
- C. Yellow
- D. Green
Explanation: ***Red*** - The **red tag** in the TRIAGE system signifies critical injuries requiring **immediate intervention** and transport to save life or limb. - Patients tagged red have a high priority for treatment with a good chance of survival if attended to promptly. - This represents the **highest priority** category for "high-priority treatment and/or transfer." *Green* - The **green tag** indicates patients with **minor injuries** who can walk and care for themselves. - Also known as the "**walking wounded**," these patients require minimal or delayed medical attention. - They have the **lowest priority** in disaster triage and can wait hours for treatment. *Black* - A **black tag** indicates the patient is **deceased** or has injuries so severe that survival is unlikely given the available resources. - These patients are assigned a low priority for treatment to allocate resources to those with a better prognosis. - Also called "**expectant**" in some systems. *Yellow* - The **yellow tag** designates patients with **serious, but non-life-threatening injuries** who can wait for treatment for a few hours. - These patients are stable enough that they do not require immediate intervention but will need medical attention. - Examples include fractures, moderate burns, or stable abdominal injuries.
Question 3: Ambulatory patients after a disaster are categorized into what color of triage?
- A. Red
- B. Yellow
- C. Green (Correct Answer)
- D. Black
Explanation: ***Green*** - **Green tag** is for the walking wounded, meaning those with minor injuries who can move independently and do not require immediate medical attention. - These patients can often assist with **their own care** or aid others, and their treatment can be delayed. *Red* - **Red tag** patients have critical, life-threatening injuries that require immediate intervention to save life or limb. - This category includes conditions like **severe bleeding**, shock, or airway compromise. *Yellow* - **Yellow tag** is assigned to patients with serious injuries that are not immediately life-threatening but require definitive treatment within a few hours. - Examples include **stable fractures**, moderate burns, or significant but controlled bleeding. *Black* - **Black tag** indicates patients who are deceased or have injuries so severe that survival is unlikely even with maximal medical care. - Resources are diverted from these patients to those with a higher chance of survival, to **maximize overall saved lives**.
Question 4: Which of the following statements about triage priority classification is TRUE?
- A. Red - first priority (Correct Answer)
- B. Black - highest priority for immediate treatment
- C. Green - critical injuries requiring immediate attention
- D. Yellow - most critical patients requiring immediate intervention
Explanation: ***Red - first priority*** - In a **triage system**, patients classified as **Red** have immediate, **life-threatening injuries** that require urgent intervention. - They are considered the **highest priority** for medical treatment to optimize their chances of survival. *Black - highest priority for immediate treatment* - **Incorrect**: Patients classified as **Black** are typically those who are **fatally injured** or have died. - Their injuries are so severe that survival is unlikely even with immediate medical intervention, making them the **lowest priority for resuscitative efforts**, not the highest. *Green - critical injuries requiring immediate attention* - **Incorrect**: **Green-tagged** patients have **minor injuries** that are not life-threatening and can often wait for treatment. - These injuries do **not require immediate attention** and can be managed after more critical patients. *Yellow - most critical patients requiring immediate intervention* - **Incorrect**: **Yellow-tagged** patients have **serious injuries** that require medical attention but are **not immediately life-threatening**. - They are considered the second highest priority after red-tagged patients, indicating a need for **delayed but definite care**.
Question 5: In immediate disaster response management (first 24-48 hours), which of the following is not typically practiced?
- A. Rehabilitation
- B. Triage
- C. Mass vaccination (Correct Answer)
- D. Search and rescue
Explanation: ***Mass vaccination*** - **Mass vaccination** is typically a strategy for **preparedness/prevention phase** or **post-disaster disease prevention**, not an immediate disaster response activity. - Immediate disaster response focuses on **saving lives, providing emergency medical care, establishing shelter, and restoring critical infrastructure**, rather than large-scale preventative health campaigns. - Mass vaccination requires **planning, logistics, cold chain management**, which are incompatible with chaotic immediate response scenarios. *Triage* - **Triage** is a **critical and immediate** component of disaster response, involving the **prioritization of injured patients** for treatment based on severity and survival likelihood. - It ensures limited resources are allocated effectively to **maximize lives saved** during the acute phase. - Typically uses **color-coded tags** (red-immediate, yellow-delayed, green-minor, black-deceased). *Rehabilitation* - While **rehabilitation** is part of the **recovery phase** (weeks to months post-disaster), **early rehabilitation activities** may begin during the immediate response period. - Basic rehabilitation services like **mobility aids, psychological first aid**, can be initiated alongside acute care. - This makes it partially practiced even in immediate response, unlike mass vaccination which is never immediate. *Search and rescue* - **Search and rescue** is the **primary immediate response activity**, focusing on locating and extracting survivors from disaster-affected areas. - Time-critical operation following the **"golden period"** principle where survival rates decrease rapidly after 72 hours. - Involves specialized teams with equipment for **debris removal, victim location, and emergency extraction**.
Question 6: Patients are categorized on the basis of chances of survival in Disaster management:
- A. Tagging
- B. Triage (Correct Answer)
- C. Mitigation
- D. Surge capacity
Explanation: ***Triage*** - **Triage** is the process of sorting and prioritizing patients based on the severity of their injuries and their chances of survival, especially in mass casualty incidents or disasters. - This system ensures that limited resources are allocated to maximize the number of survivors and provide the most effective care. *Tagging* - **Tagging** refers to the physical labeling of patients after they have been triaged, using color-coded tags (e.g., red for immediate, yellow for delayed, green for minor, black for expectant). - It is a result of the triage process, not the process of categorization itself. *Mitigation* - **Mitigation** involves measures taken to reduce the impact of a disaster or emergency, such as constructing earthquake-resistant buildings or developing flood control systems. - It focuses on preventing or lessening the severity of a disaster before it occurs, rather than categorizing patients. *Surge capacity* - **Surge capacity** is the ability of a healthcare system to expand its services and resources in response to an unexpected influx of patients, such as during a pandemic or mass casualty event. - It refers to the operational capability of the system, not the method of patient categorization.
Question 7: Black color code is used in four color code systems of triage management in disaster for:
- A. Dead or moribund patients (Correct Answer)
- B. High priority patients
- C. Ambulatory patients
- D. Low priority patients
Explanation: ***Dead or moribund patients*** - The **black color code** in triage signifies patients who are either deceased or have injuries so severe that survival is unlikely, even with immediate intervention. - These patients are typically assigned **comfort care** as resources are prioritized for those with a higher chance of survival. *High priority patients* - **High priority patients**, who require immediate medical attention to survive, are typically designated with a **red color code**. - These individuals have life-threatening injuries but still have a good prognosis if treated promptly. *Ambulatory patients* - **Ambulatory patients** who have minor injuries and can walk are usually assigned a **green color code**. - They are considered "walking wounded" and can often wait for treatment until more critical patients are stabilized. *Low priority patients* - **Low priority patients** or those with significant injuries but whose conditions are stable and not immediately life-threatening are typically designated with a **yellow color code**. - They require medical attention but can safely wait for a few hours without significant risk of deterioration.
Question 8: Which vaccine is effective for mass vaccination post-disaster?
- A. Cholera
- B. Typhoid
- C. Measles (Correct Answer)
- D. Scrub typhus
Explanation: ***Measles*** - Measles poses a significant risk for outbreaks in **post-disaster settings** due to crowded living conditions and weakened public health infrastructure. - **Mass vaccination campaigns** for measles are crucial in these contexts to prevent widespread outbreaks, especially among vulnerable populations like children. *Cholera* - While cholera can be a concern post-disaster, **oral cholera vaccines** are often reserved for targeted populations or specific endemic areas, and mass vaccination is not the primary emergency response. - **Water purification** and sanitation are more immediate and widespread interventions to control cholera in an emergency. *Typhoid* - **Typhoid vaccines** offer protection against *Salmonella Typhi* but are generally not the priority for mass vaccination immediately following a disaster. - Improved **sanitation** and safe water access are essential to prevent typhoid transmission. *Scrub typhus* - There is currently **no effective vaccine** available for scrub typhus, which is transmitted by mites. - Prevention primarily involves **vector control** measures and avoiding mite-infested areas.
Question 9: Black colour in triage is for -
- A. Low priority patients
- B. Ambulatory patients
- C. Dead patients (Correct Answer)
- D. High priority patients
Explanation: ***Dead patients*** - In a mass casualty incident (MCI) triage system, the **black tag** is assigned to patients who are deceased or have injuries so severe that survival is unlikely, often without available resources. - These individuals are identified as beyond medical help in the immediate emergent phase, allowing resources to be focused on patients with a higher chance of survival. *Low priority patients* - **Green tag** is typically assigned to patients who have minor injuries and can wait for treatment; they are considered "walking wounded." - This color indicates that their condition is stable and does not require immediate intervention. *Ambulatory patients* - Ambulatory patients, often referred to as the **"walking wounded,"** are categorized with a **green tag** in mass casualty triage. - They are individuals who can move on their own and have minor injuries that do not pose an immediate threat to life or limb. *High priority patients* - **Red tag** is used for patients with critical, life-threatening injuries who require immediate intervention to survive, such as those with severe bleeding or airway compromise. - This color signifies the highest priority for medical treatment due to the severity of their condition.
Question 10: In triage, which category of patients is classified as green?
- A. Medium risk patients
- B. High-risk patients
- C. Dead patients
- D. Minor injury patients (Correct Answer)
Explanation: ***Minor injury patients*** - Patients classified as **green** in triage are those with **minor injuries** that are not immediately life-threatening. - They can often wait for treatment without significant risk of deterioration and may be able to **walk and self-care** to some extent. *Medium risk patients* - This category generally corresponds to **yellow** in triage, indicating patients with **significant injuries** who require care within a few hours. - While not immediately life-threatening, their condition could worsen if treatment is delayed. *High-risk patients* - This category typically corresponds to **red** in triage, signifying patients with **life-threatening injuries** or conditions. - These patients require immediate medical attention to survive. *Dead patients* - Patients who are deceased or have injuries incompatible with life are typically categorized as **black** in triage. - This classification indicates that no medical intervention can save them.
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