A patient during a disaster may be "tagged" according to the injury severity identified at the scene.
NOTE: See also the Homebush triage standard, above.
Simple Scheme
Injury Severity |
Tag Color |
minor injuries; walking wounded |
green |
intermediate injuries |
yellow |
critically ill |
red |
More Complex Scheme
Injury Severity |
Tag Color |
non-urgent |
blue |
minor injuries; walking wounded |
green |
intermediate injuries |
yellow |
serious injuries requiring very urgent care |
orange |
life-threatening injuries requiring immediate care |
red |
where:
• The term "toe tagging" may be used to refer to a dead patient since a tag tied to the toe is used in a morgue for body identification.
• There is also a scheme for tagging buildings in a disaster. Red tag = structurally unsound with possible collapse and no entry permitted; yellow tag = removal of critical items permitted; green tag = sound structure with unrestricted entry
Green-tagged patients may arrive at an emergency department early and on their own after a mass casualty event, while red-tagged patients may require extrication, stabilization and transport by emergency respondents. It is important to reserve essential resources at nearby facilities for patients with more serious injuries and to forward minor injuries to more distant care stations.
Specialty: Surgery, orthopedic, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Surgery, general
ICD-10: ,