EFMB Triage & Mass Casualty Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the NATO triage system, which color tag is assigned to patients who require immediate life-saving intervention?
- Green
- Yellow
- Red (Correct answer)
- Black
Correct answer: Red
Red tags indicate patients needing immediate life-saving intervention; without prompt treatment they will die.
Question 2: What does the acronym 'SALT' stand for in mass casualty triage?
- Sort, Assess, Lifesaving interventions, Treatment/Transport (Correct answer)
- Stabilize, Administer, Locate, Transfer
- Sort, Analyze, Locate, Treat
- Survey, Assess, Limit, Transfer
Correct answer: Sort, Assess, Lifesaving interventions, Treatment/Transport
SALT stands for Sort, Assess, Lifesaving interventions, Treatment/Transport — the sequential steps of this triage method.
Question 3: In the START triage system, what respiration rate range classifies a patient as 'Immediate'?
- Less than 8 or greater than 28 per minute
- Less than 10 or greater than 30 per minute (Correct answer)
- Less than 12 or greater than 20 per minute
- Less than 6 or greater than 24 per minute
Correct answer: Less than 10 or greater than 30 per minute
START triage labels a patient Immediate if respirations are absent after airway repositioning, fewer than 10, or more than 30 breaths per minute.
Question 4: Which triage category is assigned to patients whose injuries are so severe that survival is unlikely even with extensive medical care?
- Immediate (T1)
- Delayed (T2)
- Minimal (T3)
- Expectant (T4) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Expectant (T4)
Expectant (T4/Black) is reserved for patients with unsurvivable injuries or who would require resources disproportionate to their chance of survival.
Question 5: During initial triage of a mass casualty event, what should the triage officer do FIRST?
- Begin treating the most severely injured patient
- Survey the scene and estimate the number of casualties (Correct answer)
- Establish radio communication with battalion
- Request immediate medevac for all casualties
Correct answer: Survey the scene and estimate the number of casualties
Surveying the scene and counting casualties establishes situational awareness so resources can be allocated effectively before any individual treatment begins.
Question 6: What capillary refill time threshold in START triage indicates a patient should be categorized as 'Immediate'?
- Greater than 1 second
- Greater than 2 seconds (Correct answer)
- Greater than 3 seconds
- Greater than 4 seconds
Correct answer: Greater than 2 seconds
Capillary refill greater than 2 seconds signals inadequate peripheral perfusion and places the patient in the Immediate category in START triage.
Question 7: In a mass casualty incident, which category of patients should generally be treated LAST despite having real injuries?
- Immediate
- Delayed
- Minimal (Correct answer)
- Expectant
Correct answer: Minimal
Minimal (T3/Green) patients have minor injuries, are ambulatory, and can often self-treat, so they receive care last to preserve resources for critical casualties.
EFMB Triage & Mass Casualty Management 1
In the NATO triage system, which color tag is assigned to patients who require immediate life-saving intervention?