In an MCI, what is the correct action if a casualty is not breathing after opening the airway?

• A. Tag as Red
• B. Tag as Yellow
• C. Tag as Green
• D. Tag as Black

Answer: (D)

In mass-casualty triage, decisions are made quickly to allocate limited resources to those most likely to benefit. After you open the airway, if the casualty is not breathing and does not begin to breathe on your airway maneuvers, there is no immediate chance of survival with the care available at the scene. That classification is Black, meaning dead or expectant.

If there is a pulse but no spontaneous breathing, you would attempt rescue breaths; if breathing resumes, the patient would be reclassified as Red because they now need immediate life-saving care. If they do not resume breathing, they remain Black. The key idea is that absence of breathing after airway opening signals no immediate benefit from continued life-saving effort under triage constraints.