In mass casualty triage, what do Yellow and Green tags indicate?

• A. Yellow indicates delayed treatment; Green indicates minor injuries; Red is immediate; Black is expectant/deceased.
• B. Yellow indicates immediate life-saving interventions; Green indicates minor injuries; Red is delayed; Black is deceased.
• C. Yellow indicates deceased; Green indicates delayed; Red is immediate; Black is minor.
• D. Yellow indicates minor injuries; Green indicates delayed; Red is immediate; Black is deceased.

Answer: (A)

In mass casualty triage, colors convey urgency so responders can act quickly with limited time and resources. Yellow means the patient’s condition requires attention, but treatment can be delayed without an immediate threat to life. Green denotes minor injuries where the person is walking wounded and can wait longer for care. This pairing—Yellow for delayed and Green for minor—fits the standard triage approach, while Red is reserved for those needing immediate life-saving intervention and Black for deceased or expectant patients. Other color mappings would contradict how triage aims to prioritize the greatest number of survivors under resource constraints, so this combination is the correct one.