Which patient should be prioritized at a mass-casualty incident?

In a mass-casualty incident, triage is crucial for prioritizing patient care based on the severity of their injuries and the likelihood of survival. The correct choice highlights a patient exhibiting signs of critical conditions, including unresponsiveness, obstructed airway (indicated by snoring respirations), and severe burns.

This patient’s snoring respirations suggest a need for urgent airway management, as an obstructed airway can quickly lead to respiratory failure, especially in the context of severe burns where airway edema may occur. The unresponsiveness further complicates the situation as there may be a reduced ability to protect the airway, exacerbating the risk of aspiration or inadequate ventilation.

In a mass-casualty situation, the goal is to identify patients who have a chance of survival with immediate intervention. Patients demonstrating an obstructed airway require immediate action, as their time to intervention is critical. Severe burns, especially with associated airway issues, put this patient in a position where prompt treatment could significantly improve their outcome.

The other patients present severe situations as well but may have a lower priority based on triage principles. For example, an unresponsive man with an open head injury may likely have a poor prognosis, and a pulseless apneic patient