Pediatric Mass Casualty: Triage and Planning for the Prehospital Provider

Infants and children are common victims of disaster or mass casualty situations. Prehospital providers provide the initial care and stabilization at the scene of a mass casualty event. There are a number of challenges the prehospital provider faces when caring for children in a mass casualty event, among them are the following: the physiology of children differs from adults, children are particularly vulnerable in a disaster, separation from parents or caregivers may occur, and protocols developed for adults may not work well for children. This article reviews the planning and triage considerations for prehospital providers caring for children in a mass casualty event.