What is the purpose of secondary triage?

• A. In field initial triage
• B. Determining destination hospital
• C. Additional sorting in treatment areas
• D. Evaluating patient vital signs

Answer: (C)

Secondary triage is the process of re-evaluating and re-sorting patients once they are in the treatment area to reflect changes in condition and response to initial care. After the first rapid field triage, patients may show different needs as care begins, bleeding is controlled, or symptoms evolve. This ongoing reassessment allows clinicians to adjust priorities, move those in most need to the appropriate treatment spaces, and allocate resources more effectively. It ensures that someone who worsens or stabilizes after initial treatment can be re-prioritized promptly, rather than sticking with the initial category.

This isn’t the initial field triage, which happens before patients reach the treatment area. It isn’t primarily about deciding which hospital to transport to—that transport planning occurs based on overall needs and available resources. And while vital signs are reviewed during secondary triage, the main purpose is the added sorting and re-prioritization within the treatment area based on current status.