What does the term "reverse triage" refer to?

The term "reverse triage" refers to prioritizing patients for treatment based on urgency rather than injury severity. In a mass casualty situation, for example, this approach is utilized to maximize the number of lives saved when resources, including personnel and medical equipment, are constrained. Instead of treating the most severely injured patients first, reverse triage focuses on quickly identifying individuals who have the potential for survival with timely intervention, even if their injuries appear less severe. This method may mean that those who may not survive their injuries will be deprioritized to ensure that those who can live with immediate treatment receive it.

This practice aligns with a utilitarian approach in emergency medicine, particularly in disaster response scenarios, where the goal is to effectively manage limited resources so that the greatest number of patients can be treated successfully.