Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Intermediate Practice Exam

In a multiple-casualty incident, what immediate action should you take for the 40-year-old female with an arm fracture?

1. Provide her with pain medication

2. Assign her an appropriate triage category and move to the next patient

3. Perform a full assessment before moving on

4. Notify the trauma team for immediate intervention

The correct answer is: Assign her an appropriate triage category and move to the next patient

In a multiple-casualty incident, the primary focus is on triaging patients efficiently to determine the priority of treatment based on the severity of their conditions. When assessing the 40-year-old female with an arm fracture, assigning her an appropriate triage category and moving on to the next patient is crucial. This approach aligns with the principles of triage, which prioritize those who are most critically injured or in need of immediate care. While managing pain is essential for patient comfort, in a multiple-casualty scenario, it is more critical to ensure that resources are allocated effectively and that patients with life-threatening injuries receive intervention first. Conducting a full assessment on each patient may also lead to delays in care for those who might need urgent attention, ultimately compromising patient outcomes. Notifying the trauma team for immediate intervention is important but generally occurs after the initial triage is performed, allowing for better overall management of the incident.