Which color code indicates that patients are sick but care can be delayed 45-60 minutes?

Which color code indicates that patients are sick but care can be delayed 45-60 minutes?

• A. Green
• B. Yellow
• C. Red
• D. Black

Answer: (B)

In mass casualty triage, patients are sorted by urgency so resources go to those who need life-saving care first. Yellow represents a delayed category: injuries are significant but not immediately life-threatening, so care can be safely postponed for about 45–60 minutes while attention is given to more critical patients. This helps clinicians balance speed with safety, ensuring those who need immediate intervention (red) get treated first, while minor cases (green) can wait longer and the deceased or unsalvageable (black) are identified.

In mass casualty triage, patients are sorted by urgency so resources go to those who need life-saving care first. Yellow represents a delayed category: injuries are significant but not immediately life-threatening, so care can be safely postponed for about 45–60 minutes while attention is given to more critical patients. This helps clinicians balance speed with safety, ensuring those who need immediate intervention (red) get treated first, while minor cases (green) can wait longer and the deceased or unsalvageable (black) are identified.