Which injured client of a mass casualty disaster should a triage nurse in an emergency department establish as the priority client?
ExplanationA sucking chest wound is a life-threatening but survivable emergency. The client would be triaged as priority 1 (red) according to the NATO triage system. The unresponsive client with a penetrating head injury and the severely burned client have a limited potential for survival, even with definitive care, and would be categorized as a priority 4 level (black). The client with the facial wounds would be classified as priority 2 (yellow) because injuries are significant and require medical care, but can wait hours without threat to life.
