The disaster triage system classifies which client as Minimal category, Priority 3, and color green?

• A. The client with a sucking chest wound who is alert.
• B. The client with a head injury who is unresponsive.
• C. The client with an abdominal wound and stable vital signs.
• D. The client with a sprained ankle that may be fractured.

Answer: (D)

Disaster triage aims to maximize lives saved by quickly sorting patients by how urgently they need care. Green, or Minimal, is the category for those with minor injuries who can walk and do not need immediate life-saving interventions. They can wait and be treated after more critical patients are stabilized.

In these scenarios, the sprained ankle that may be fractured fits green because the person can ambulate, has no life-threatening signs, and requires only basic first aid. The other conditions indicate more serious problems requiring urgent attention: a sucking chest wound is a life-threatening injury needing immediate intervention; an unresponsive head injury carries high risk of deterioration and requires rapid evaluation and treatment; an abdominal wound with stable vitals could be yellow (delayed) but is more concerning than minimal.