Field Triage Score (FTS) in Battlefield Casualties: Validation of a Novel Triage Technique in a Combat Environment

Abstract

BACKGROUND: By the principles of Tactical Combat Casualty Care, battlefield casualties are preferentially triaged on the basis of pulse character and mental status. A weak or absent palpable pulse correlates with a systolic blood pressure (SBP) of less than or equal to 100 mm Hg. Furthermore, the motor component of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS-M) has been shown to correlate with outcomes. In a previous study, the authors developed a simple triage tool, the field triage score (FTS), on the basis of pulse character and GCS-M status, which provided a quick and effective means of predicting injury survival in the civilian trauma environment. The purpose of this analysis was to validate the predictive utility of the FTS in the battlefield trauma environment. METHODS: The Joint Theater Trauma Registry was used to identify 4,988 battlefield casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan from January 2002 to September 2008 with requisite admission data elements of SBP, GCS-M status, and survival. SBP was stratified as less than or equal to 100 mm Hg, consistent with weak or absent pulse character, or greater than 100 mm Hg, consistent with a normal pulse character. GCS-M status was stratified as either abnormal (less than 6) or normal (6). Casualties with presenting SBPs of 0 mm Hg were excluded from the analysis. As in the civilian trauma triage study, the FTS was derived by assigning a component value of 0 for weak or absent pulse or abnormal GCS-M status and a component value of 1 for either a normal pulse or normal GCS-M status. Adding the scores resulted in an aggregate FTS value of 0, 1, or 2.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA629430

Entities

People

  • Brian J. Eastridge
  • Charles E Wade
  • Frank Butler
  • Howard R. Champion
  • John B Holcomb
  • Josè Salinas
  • Lorne H Blackbourne

Organizations

  • United States Army Institute of Surgical Research

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arteries
  • Battlefields
  • Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena
  • Casualties
  • Combat Casualty Care
  • Environment
  • Evacuation
  • Health Services
  • Heart Rate
  • Hospitals
  • Military Medicine
  • Personality
  • Physical Examination (Medicine)
  • Physiological Monitoring
  • Therapy
  • Validation
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Trauma Surgery or Emergency Medicine.