Level I Center Triage and Mass Casualties

The world has been marked by a recent series of high-profile terrorist attacks, including the attack of September 11, 2001, in New York City. Similar to natural disasters, these attacks often result in a large number of casualties necessitating triage strategies. The end of the twentieth century was marked by the development of trauma systems in the United States and abroad. By their very nature, trauma centers are best equipped to handle mass casualties resulting from natural and manmade disasters. Triage assessment tools and scoring systems have evolved to facilitate this triage process and to potentially reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with these events.