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Nursing Education 2018 Journal of Nursing and Health Studies
ISSN: 2574-2825 Page 25
April 23-25, 2018
Rome, Italy
27th Edition of World Congress on
Nursing Education &
Research
Statement of the Problem: Triage is critical in disaster
medicine. There are a number of triage tools globally, but none
has been scientifically validated. START (simple triage and
rapid treatment) has the most traction because of its simplicity
and its advocacy of two key medical interventions. SALT
(sort, assess, life-saving interventions, treatment) has been
advocated by reputable agencies in the United States such as
FEMA, AMA (American Medical Association), and the National
Disaster Medical System. SALT differs from START because
of its recognition of victims with non-survivable conditions
(gray) and the addition of two additional medical interventions
(antidote administration and needle thoracostomy). However,
despite SALT’s proponents, it is not as well-known among
healthcare professionals and students. The positives and
negatives of both triage systems will be presented.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The learner will
receive an introduction of triage, its history and its evolution.
Then there will be a comprehensive presentation of START
and SALT triage reviewing the advantages and limitations
of each. Following this, there is one or more triage table-top
exercises with which the learner will review each case scenario
and determine which victims are red, yellow, green, black, and
gray. They will also determine what medical interventions are
required. Debriefing of the scenarios will follow.
Findings: The learner will then determine which of the triage
tools they would select for their own community and their own
healthcare institution based on the knowledge they acquired in
class and during the drill.
Conclusion & Significance: Triage is a critical aspect of
emergency and disaster medicine. The presentation of triage
in general and START and SALT systems in greater detail will
empower nurses to take the lead in improving their own triage
skills and selecting the best tool for their hospitals and their
community.
Biography
Paul Rega has been an Emergency Physician for over thirty years and has
been board-certified in Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Emergency Med-
icine until his retirement. At present, his activities have been concentrated
in education and research at The University of Toledo College of Medicine
where he is an Assistant Professor in both the Department of Public Health
& Preventive Medicine and the Department of Emergency Medicine. He
currently has a number of semester courses relating to pandemics, global
health, and disasters. Virtually all of his educational endeavors are multidis-
ciplinary in nature (Medicine, Nursing, PA, Pharmacology, and Public Health)
and he makes extensive use of simulation (table-top and functional exercis-
es, high-fidelity simulations, hybrid simulations, etc.). His association with
the university has also resulted in a number of publications in peer-reviewed
journals and grants associated with disaster medicine, simulationmedicine,
and pandemic preparedness and response.
START or SALT: which triage system would you choose for
yourself and your community?
Paul Rega
University of Toledo, USA
Paul Rega, J Nurs Health Stud 2018, Volume 3
DOI: 10.21767/2574-2825-C1-002