In parallel with the revision of the National Guideline for the Field Triage of Injured Patients, training materials have been developed for use in teaching field triage to new and practicing EMS professionals. Two slide sets are available: one which provides an overview of the 2021 Guideline and is intended for educators to use for the didactic portion of instruction and one that offers customizable case-based triage scenarios for discussion.
Manuscript
It is encouraged that EMS educators read the source manuscript to fully understand the Guideline and rationale for the included criteria and structure. The Guideline is intended for patient destination decision in the field, not mass casualty incidents (MCI) or trauma team activation at a receiving trauma center.
National Guideline for the Field Triage of Injured Patients: Recommendations of the National Expert Panel on Field Triage, 2021
Slide Sets
The didactic portion of instruction covers the current version of the Guideline, highlights changes from the past 2011 version, as well as the rationale for the changes made. Educators should review these slides with students first before moving into the case-based scenarios. The presentation can be customized for the local trauma system and its resources and protocols by modifying the indicated slides.
Didactic Slide Deck
Case-based triage scenarios were developed to demonstrate application of the Guideline. The slides are designed for use following the didactic portion of instruction. There are 6 total cases, some with multiple versions. Depending on time constraints, it is suggested that educators select 3-5 cases to review. Each case includes several discussion points, including the criterion demonstrated, system and resource considerations, bypass of other centers, ultimate patient destination, and transport mode considerations. There are notes for the presenter on each slide to guide the discussion. The cases have been developed in two versions.
The first version is intended for experienced EMS clinicians practicing within an established trauma system to maximize the practical application of the National Trauma Field Triage Guideline. This slide set emphasizes a discussion framing triage decision making within the context of the local EMS and trauma system in which the students practice. Two versions of these slides are available based on either an ABCD or MARCH primary survey to align with updated initial assessment in Version 2 of the NASEMSO Model EMS Clinical Guidelines. Select the version with the primary survey approach used by the students.
ABCD Slide Deck
MARCH Slide Deck
The second version is intended to be used primarily with new EMS students to help them gain an understanding of how system resources may impact their decision making. This set of slides includes a mix of urban, suburban, and rural settings with hypothetical trauma and EMS system resources for students to consider when making triage decisions. Two versions of these slides are available based on either an ABCD or MARCH primary survey. Select the version with the primary survey approach used by the students.
New EMS Clinicians ABCD Slide Deck
New EMS Clinicians MARCH Slide Deck
