In a mass casualty incident, which client should be prioritized for transport to the hospital?

In a mass casualty incident, the prioritization of patients for transport to the hospital is guided by the principles of triage, which aim to maximize the number of survivors by treating the most critically injured first. The case involving the 25-year-old with a sucking chest wound is the most urgent among the options provided because this condition can lead to life-threatening complications if not managed immediately.

A sucking chest wound allows air to enter the pleural space, which can cause a tension pneumothorax. This results in impaired respiratory function and potentially fatal cardiovascular collapse if not addressed quickly. Therefore, patients with compromised airways or breathing require immediate intervention.

In contrast, while the other patients have significant injuries, they are not as immediately life-threatening. The 20-year-old with a high spinal cord injury is unresponsive and likely will not benefit from immediate hospital transport compared to the active airway emergency presented by the sucking chest wound. The 80-year-old with a compound arm fracture and the 10-year-old with a leg laceration, while serious, do not present the same level of immediate risk to life as a sucking chest wound does. This critical distinction underscores why prioritizing transport for the patient with the sucking chest wound is essential in a mass casualty