The Falklands war--triage.

In order to provide first class treatment for casualties in the recent Falklands war it was necessary to apply rigid rules. Those who required treatment most urgently received earlier resuscitative and surgical care to give the best possible chance of good quality survival. The concept of Triage was applied at every level of medical care but was found to be most crucial at surgical centres. The dynamic nature of the Triage system was noted. Patients required constant reassessment and updating by experienced well trained teams. The system worked well. The success in employing resuscitation trained dental officers in the Triage role was particularly worth noting.