Prehospital triage of trauma patients: a trauma surgeon's perspective.

A number of triage tools have been developed and used to make triage decisions. Studies have demonstrated better outcomes in patients who receive care in trauma centers. The field triage decision scheme from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma involves patient triage based on the presence of physiologic derangement, specific anatomic injuries, mechanism of injury, and comorbid factors. Issues such as distance to a trauma center (rural areas) and methods of transport (e.g., air, ground) complicate the prehospital triage of trauma patients. The best system for a given community or region is one that begins with a triage scheme that is evidence based to the greatest extent possible but is then modified based on community or regional resources and geography. Delivering the severely injured trauma patient to a facility that can provide optimal care, in the shortest amount of the time, remains the overarching principle.