Which step should you take after completing the initial triage on a mass casualty scene?

• A. Transport all Red-tag patients first
• B. Move to the next patient
• C. Triage again only if new casualties arrive
• D. Reassess patients and adjust tags as needed

Answer: (D)

After initial triage, you must continuously reassess patients and adjust their tags as needed. Conditions on a mass casualty scene can change quickly due to evolving physiology, interventions already given, and limited resources. Reassessing allows you to catch someone who deteriorates or improves and realign priorities so the most critical needs are addressed with the available ambulances and crews. For example, a patient initially tagged as delayed might worsen and need to be upgraded to immediate, while someone labeled as immediate could stabilize enough to be downgraded. This ongoing re-triage is essential for making the most effective use of limited resources.

Transporting all red-tag patients first isn’t always feasible or appropriate, because priorities must reflect current condition, not just color coding. Simply moving on to the next patient without reassessment risks missing changes in status. Re-triage should occur as the scene evolves and, when new casualties arrive, you update current patients accordingly rather than waiting for new arrivals to trigger reassessment.