The recognition & adoption of a standardized national illuminated color coded system for triaging MCI patients 24/7. Today different States & organizations use different triage cards and tapes for triaging patients. The one thing they all have in common is not the language or format of the triage cards but it is the color given to each priority. If a national color code standard is adopted then no State or Agency would have to change their triage cards but in cases of National Disasters when first responders from different States come together, red is always first, yellow is always second, green is always third and black (blue light) is always last, we all speak the same language, via the colors. The illuminated component to the triage system is to address the lack of one today. Today support personnel run around with flashlight shining the light on cards or pieces of tape in the dark or under adverse conditions to find the priority patients. Imagine a rolled over bus on the highway at night while it is snowing. Why, when there is a better way? Use lights for night time or adverse condition scenarios. A study has shown if you use lights in triage you reduce patient collection times by over 30% and reduce patient collection errors from 4 errors down to 1 error. Our citizen's should be confident that our first responders are properly equipped and prepared to handle situations to the best of their abilities 24/7. Let’s make the patients and the responders lives easier especially during night time or adverse condition scenarios. Seconds count! Be 24/7 field triage prepared.
24/7 Field Triage Preparedness
Tags: triage
Comments (8)
Illuminated tags work well...Unless your local fire company uses light sticks to mark hazards on the scene...Going to check a pulse on an open High voltage transformer can ruin your day.
Once again.. coordinate and communicate!
Awesome!
One of the things we've taught CERT and First Responder groups for years is to use the cyalume "glow sticks" in low-light or dark conditions. You can get the glow sticks in bulk and in each of the triage colors.
Hello Paul, visit FEMA's Responders Knowledge Base (RKB.US) website for the latest in illuminated triage technology. In the "Search" box type in the terms "triage lights". Chemical light sticks work but there are newer, more efficient and more economical options that are reusable, that you don't continually throw away into the trash, especially during trainings. Thanks for sharing and make sure to vote. Every "I Agree" counts
I recommend looking at the SMART Triage System. The SMART Triage system is a great system that includes the use of light sticks and highly visible cards.
I agree the SMART Triage system is a great system but there are better options than the chemlights to use with it, especially for trainings, TCCC and extended MCI's. With new LED lighting technology you can change the triage status of the same patient without having to dispose of one color chemlight for another and the flash features available in today's LED's lights can be used to easily distinguish between contaminated(flashing) and non-contaminated (not flashing)patients while still knowing their priority, just by looking at the lights. Chemical lights seem cheap but in the long run are very expensive and wasteful, not to mention you need to carry four of each color for each patient. That is more weight and volume responders carry for this type of equipment out on the field. To get an idea of how many chemical lights our government purchases and throws away go to usaspending.gov . Here is the direct link:
http://www.usaspending.gov/search?query=&searchtype=&formFields=eyJTZWFyY2hUZXJtIjpbImN5YWx1bWUiXX0%3D
Close to 40 million dollars of chemical lights in 8 to 10 years from just one agency (DLA). That is only a portion of how many chemical lights are in the ground today and how many will be repurchased over and over again every couple of years by different governmental agencies (One dollar at a time!). I believe utilizing something reusable (offers better return on investment), smaller, lighter with a steady brightness and with many more features and capabilities is the way to go. Not to mention chemical lights do not function very well in cold temperatures. They freeze, won't easily crack an illuminate very low for not very long, besides many other short comings.
SMART Triage system, one triage light to accompany each highly visible card. Smaller, lighter, faster and reusable.
Here is the link to the RKB:
https://www.rkb.us/search.cfm?query=triage+lights
The downside to using chemlights is that they start to fade out after 10 or 15 minutes. By using a battery-operated unit, you will have the same quality of light for a much longer period of time.