During a mass casualty event, what tag should a nurse assign to a client with a head injury and fixed, dilated pupils?

The scenario describes a patient with a head injury accompanied by fixed, dilated pupils, which are indicators of severe neurological impairment. In the context of a mass casualty event, triage is a critical process used to prioritize treatment based on the urgency of the medical need.

In triage systems, the tag color signifies the urgency of care required. A black tag is typically assigned to patients who are considered deceased or whose injuries are so severe that they are unlikely to survive even with medical intervention. When fixed and dilated pupils are present, it suggests a life-threatening condition that often correlates with significant brain injury or death. Therefore, assigning a black tag to such a patient reflects the assessment that they require no immediate rescue efforts and that resources should be allocated to those with a better chance of survival.

The other tags—red, yellow, and green—indicate varying levels of need for immediate medical care, where red represents critical conditions that require immediate attention, yellow indicates serious but stable conditions requiring care, and green represents minor injuries. In this case, because of the critical condition indicated by the head injury and neurological status, the black tag is the appropriate choice.