In START triage, which combination indicates an Immediate (red) category?

In START triage, which combination indicates an Immediate (red) category?

• A. Normal respiratory rate, good perfusion, oriented
• B. Abnormal respiratory rate, poor perfusion, altered mental status
• C. No respiratory effort, unresponsive
• D. Minor injuries with stable vitals

Answer: (B)

START triage assigns an Immediate (red) tag to those with life-threatening problems that need rapid intervention. The three quick checks are breathing, perfusion (blood circulation), and mental status. If breathing is abnormal, perfusion is poor, or the person cannot follow simple commands, they’re high priority for rapid care. When all three factors are present—abnormal breathing rate, poor perfusion, and altered mental status—the individual clearly meets the red category because each sign indicates a serious threat to life and a need for immediate treatment. If someone has normal breathing, good perfusion, and is oriented, they’re not red—they’re not in immediate danger and would fall into a less urgent category. No respiratory effort with unresponsiveness is typically treated as a non-survivable scenario or requires resuscitation decisions rather than immediate rapid treatment, depending on pulse presence. Minor injuries with stable vitals are green, meaning minor priority.

START triage assigns an Immediate (red) tag to those with life-threatening problems that need rapid intervention. The three quick checks are breathing, perfusion (blood circulation), and mental status. If breathing is abnormal, perfusion is poor, or the person cannot follow simple commands, they’re high priority for rapid care. When all three factors are present—abnormal breathing rate, poor perfusion, and altered mental status—the individual clearly meets the red category because each sign indicates a serious threat to life and a need for immediate treatment.

If someone has normal breathing, good perfusion, and is oriented, they’re not red—they’re not in immediate danger and would fall into a less urgent category. No respiratory effort with unresponsiveness is typically treated as a non-survivable scenario or requires resuscitation decisions rather than immediate rapid treatment, depending on pulse presence. Minor injuries with stable vitals are green, meaning minor priority.