Triage & Transport Guidelines
Identification of the major trauma patient is essential to trauma system design because it describes the patient who will benefit most from regionalized care. It also indirectly determines the level and intensity of resources needed to provide definitive care. Triage includes the process of sorting patients as to severity or injury risk and assigning them to the most appropriate resource for definitive care. Triage decisions are made at the scene during the initial evaluation of the victim. Once made, decisions impacting destination include severity of the injury sustained by the victim, time and distance to a receiving facility, and level of hospital resources available to care for the trauma victim. Triage criteria should provide a basis for the establishment of protocols for patient identification, delivery decisions, and appropriate response at the acute care facilities for all trauma patients in an inclusive system. The State Trauma Advisory Council and trauma system participants have established the following Triage and Transport Guidelines for the State Trauma System and shall serve as the minimal guidelines each EMS provider shall incorporate into their operational plans.
The NCRTAC approved the guidelines at the January meeting.
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