Which term is associated with prioritizing patient treatment in mass casualty events?

• A. Quality Assurance
• B. Field Triage
• C. On-Line Medical Control
• D. Medical Control Board

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the process used to sort or prioritize who receives treatment first when resources are overwhelmed, which is field triage. In a mass casualty incident, responders quickly categorize patients to allocate limited personnel and equipment to those most likely to benefit from immediate life-saving care. This helps maximize the number of lives saved by directing attention to those with a real chance of survival who require urgent intervention.

Quality Assurance is about evaluating performance after an incident to improve care; On-Line Medical Control refers to real-time medical direction given by a physician; Medical Control Board is an administrative body that oversees EMS medical policy. None describe the on-scene prioritization process that field triage provides.