What does it mean to triage?

To triage means to prioritize patients based on the severity of their condition. This process is crucial in emergency situations, especially when resources are limited, such as during mass casualty incidents or in emergency rooms where multiple patients require attention simultaneously.

Triage involves evaluating each patient's medical needs and determining who requires immediate care and who can wait. By sorting patients according to the urgency of their medical conditions, healthcare providers can ensure that those in life-threatening situations receive prompt treatment while less critical cases are attended to as resources allow.

This concept is essential for effective patient care management and helps to maximize positive outcomes in challenging scenarios where time and resources are critical factors.