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Mass casualty (expectant) — DIPIMC MCQ

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HardMajor Incident ManagementMass casualty (expectant)DIPIMCDipIMC

At an incident with overwhelming numbers of casualties and limited resources, one patient has injuries that are unsurvivable with the means available and whose care would consume the resources needed for several salvageable patients.

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Correct answer: D — Apply an expectant approach, providing comfort while prioritising salvageable casualties.

In a mass casualty incident where demand outstrips resources, an expectant approach, sometimes labelled P1 hold, directs limited resources to those most likely to benefit, while still providing comfort and dignity to expectant patients. Allocating everything to an unsalvageable patient costs other lives. The expectant decision is made by senior clinicians and revisited as resources change.

Reference: NHS England Major Incident Triage (Ten Second Triage / MITT)