What does START stand for in mass casualty triage?

• A. Systematic Triage and Rapid Treatment
• B. Simple Triage and Rapid Transport
• C. Swift Triage and Rapid Treatment
• D. Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment

Answer: (D)

START stands for Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment. The idea here is to keep triage quick and practical so responders can rapidly identify who needs life-saving care now. “Simple” means you use straightforward, easy-to-apply criteria instead of complex scoring. “Triage” is about sorting by urgency, not completing full medical diagnoses. “Rapid Treatment” emphasizes starting lifesaving actions immediately for those who need them, rather than waiting to transport everyone first. In practice, you quickly check breathing after opening the airway, assess perfusion (pulse or capillary refill), and note whether the patient can follow simple commands. This lets you separate victims into those needing immediate intervention from those who can wait or who are no longer survivable. The key is that the acronym ends with Treatment, not Transport, which reflects prioritizing early care during the triage process rather than transport decisions.