The START system allows for easy and efficient triaging of patients involving a color-coded scheme. It measures the patients’ mental status, respiratory effort and perfusion status.
- Patients who are able to walk are labeled with a green tag.
- Next are patients who have respiratory problems. The respiratory rate is quickly assessed and if there is evidence of agonal respirations or the rate is higher than 30 per min, the patient is immediately red tagged. In addition, a patients’ radial pulse may be assessed. If the patient is found to have an absent radial pulse they are red tagged as well.
- Patients who have no respirations are black tagged.
- If a patient is able to obey simple commands (squeeze my hand), they are assumed to have a good neurological status and are then given a yellow tag. If they cannot obey commands they receive a red tag. [8]
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