Defining the ratio of outcomes to resources for triage of burn patients in mass casualties.
Management of a mass casualty involving burn patients that overwhelms local resources will likely require a triage process in which limited resources are devoted to the patients with the highest likelihood of survival. No objective criteria exist which define how patients could be categorized in such a situation. A table that classifies patients according to their anticipated survival from burn injury, and the resources required to achieve that survival, is presented here. The limitations and restrictions of applying such a guideline are discussed in detail.
Saffle
Jeffrey R
JR
Department of Surgery, University of Utah Health Center, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132, USA.
Gibran
Nicole
N
Jordan
Marion
M
D002056:Burns / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003657:Decision Making; D004189:Disaster Planning; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014218:Triage / Q000592:standards*