In mass casualty incident triage, what is the primary objective?

In mass casualty incident triage, what is the primary objective?

• A. Do the greatest good for the greatest number
• B. Treat injuries with the highest severity first
• C. Allocate resources equally
• D. Prioritize the youngest patients

Answer: (A)

In mass casualty triage, the main goal is to save as many people as possible given limited resources. Triage focuses on directing treatment to those most likely to benefit, rather than treating everyone equally or following a rule like prioritizing the most severely injured regardless of outcome. By quickly assessing who has life-threatening but salvageable injuries and can survive with timely care, responders maximize the number of survivors. Those with injuries unlikely to be remedied with available resources may receive lower priority so that more lives can be saved overall. Age is not the sole deciding factor; the focus is on the potential for benefit and overall outcomes.

In mass casualty triage, the main goal is to save as many people as possible given limited resources. Triage focuses on directing treatment to those most likely to benefit, rather than treating everyone equally or following a rule like prioritizing the most severely injured regardless of outcome. By quickly assessing who has life-threatening but salvageable injuries and can survive with timely care, responders maximize the number of survivors. Those with injuries unlikely to be remedied with available resources may receive lower priority so that more lives can be saved overall. Age is not the sole deciding factor; the focus is on the potential for benefit and overall outcomes.