Method and system of mass and multiple casualty triage
First Claim
1. A method of triage for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, a casualty severity score for each of a plurality of victims at the mass casualty scene;
inputting each casualty severity score into a computer;
receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims;
inputting the information indicative of medical transport resources available into a computer; and
determining by a computer implemented decision logic an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of victims, wherein the decision logic mathematically factors the casualty severity scores and the resources available for the plurality of victims.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method and system of triage that assesses a severity score for each casualty, and determines a treatment prioritization plan to maximize the number of survivors. The present invention includes a score-based mathematical algorithm for resource-constrained triage, where an optimal number of survivors is determined through a methodology that can be mathematically modeled and solved, a methodology that considers victim survival probabilities, victim deterioration rates, and resource availability. First, each casualty is assessed and an RPM severity score is assigned based upon a sum of coded values for respiratory rate, pulse rate, and best motor response. Next, treatment priorities are determined from analytical or mathematical techniques, such as dynamic or linear programming, in consideration of survival probabilities associated with each RPM score, and deterioration-with-time rates for each RPM score for victims awaiting transport and treatment and the availability and timing of transport and treatment services.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of triage for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, a casualty severity score for each of a plurality of victims at the mass casualty scene; inputting each casualty severity score into a computer; receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims; inputting the information indicative of medical transport resources available into a computer; and determining by a computer implemented decision logic an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of victims, wherein the decision logic mathematically factors the casualty severity scores and the resources available for the plurality of victims. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A triage method for determining an order of treatment, or transport for treatment, for casualties of a mass casualty incident, to maximize the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, a casualty severity score for each of a plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene; inputting each casualty severity score into a computer; receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of casualties; inputting the information indicative of medical transport resources available into a computer; determining by a computer implemented decision logic an order of treatment, or transport for treatment, for each of the plurality of casualties, wherein the decision logic mathematically factors the resources available for the plurality of casualties, the casualty severity scores, casualty severity score deterioration rates resulting from time periods of treatment delay, and one or more of a type of trauma experienced by each casualty, a classification of each casualty, and a type of care center appropriate for and available to each casualty; and communicating the order of treatment, or transport for treatment, to incident personnel for their use in directing an ordering of the casualties. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A triage method for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
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assessing one or more physiological characteristics of each of a plurality of casualties at a mass casualty scene, by incident personnel at the mass casualty scene, and receiving from the incident personnel, or separately assigning, a coded value for each of the one or more physiological characteristics; receiving from the incident personnel, or separately establishing, a casualty severity score for each of the plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene using the coded value(s); inputting each casualty severity score into a computer; receiving from the incident personnel, or separately assigning, a survival probability to each casualty severity score based upon at least one characteristic of the respective casualty or of an incident responsible for the casualty; inputting the survival probability for each casualty severity score into a computer; receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of casualties; inputting the information indicative of medical transport resources available into a computer; determining by a computer implemented decision logic an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of casualties through analytical or mathematical programming techniques, wherein the programming techniques mathematically consider the casualty severity scores, the time periods of treatment delay resulting from constrained resources available for the plurality of casualties, the survival probabilities, and deterioration rates applied to the casualty severity scores due to the time periods of treatment delay; and communicating the order of transport for treatment to incident personnel for their use in directing an ordering of the casualties at the mass casualty scene for transport from the mass casualty scene. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A computer readable medium that configures a computer system to perform a method of triage for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, a casualty severity score for each of a plurality of victims at the mass casualty scene; inputting each casualty severity score into the computer system; receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims; inputting the information indicative of medical transport resources available into the computer system; and determining an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of victims, wherein the determination mathematically factors the casualty severity scores and the medical transport resources available.
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27. A computer readable medium that configures a computer system to perform a method of triage for determining an order of treatment, or transport for treatment, for casualties of a mass casualty incident, to maximize the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, a casualty severity score for each of a plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene; inputting each casualty severity score into the computer system; receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of casualties; inputting the information indicative of medical transport resources available into the computer system; determining an order of treatment, or transport for treatment, for each of the plurality of casualties, wherein the determination mathematically factors the medical resources available for the plurality of casualties, the casualty severity scores, and casualty severity score deterioration rates resulting from time periods of treatment delay.
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28. A computer-readable medium that configures a computer system to perform a method of triage for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving coded values, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, for one or more physiological characteristics taken for each of a plurality of victims at the mass casualty scene; inputting the coded values into the computer system; receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims; inputting the information indicative of medical transport resources available into the computer system; establishing a casualty severity score for each of the plurality of victims using the coded values; and determining an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of victims, wherein the determination mathematically factors the medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims and the casualty severity scores.
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29. A computer readable medium that configures a computer system to perform a method of triage for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, one or more physiological characteristics taken for each of a plurality of casualties and assigning a coded value for each based on the assessment; inputting the coded values into the computer system; establishing a severity score for each of the plurality of casualties by summing the coded values; receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims; inputting the information indicative of medical transport resources available into the computer system; assigning a survival probability to each severity score based upon at least one characteristic of a respective casualty or of an incident responsible for the casualty; and determining an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of casualties through analytical or mathematical programming techniques, wherein the programming techniques mathematically factor the severity scores, time periods of treatment delay resulting from constrained resources available for care of the plurality of casualties, the survival probabilities, and deterioration rates applied to the severity scores due to the time periods of treatment delay. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A computer readable medium that stores a program for performing a triage method for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the program comprising:
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means for receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, a casualty severity score for each of a plurality of victims at the mass casualty scene; means for receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims at the mass casualty scene; and means for determining an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of victims, wherein the determination mathematically factors the casualty severity scores and the medical transport resources available.
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32. A computer readable medium that stores a program for performing a triage method for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the program comprising:
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means for receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, a casualty severity score for each of a plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene; means for receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims at the mass casualty scene; and means for determining an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of victims, wherein the determination mathematically factors the medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims, the casualty severity scores, and casualty severity score deterioration rates resulting from time periods of treatment delay.
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33. A computer readable medium that stores a program for performing a triage method for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the program comprising:
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means for receiving coded values, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, for one or more physiological characteristics taken for each of a plurality of victims at the mass casualty scene; means for receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims; means for establishing a casualty severity score for each of the plurality of victims using the coded values; and means for determining an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of victims, wherein the determination mathematically factors the medical transport resources available for caro of the plurality of victims and the casualty severity scores.
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34. A computer readable medium that stores a program for performing a triage method for determining an order of treatment, or transport for treatment, for casualties of a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the program comprising:
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means for receiving, from incident personnel at a mass casualty scene, one or more physiological characteristics taken for each of a plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene and assigning a coded value for each based on the assessment; means for establishing a severity score for each of the plurality of casualties by summing the coded values; means for assigning a survival probability to each severity score based upon at least one characteristic of a respective casualty or of an incident responsible for the casualty; means for receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene; and means for determining an order of treatment, or transport for treatment, for each of the plurality of casualties through analytical or mathematical programming techniques, wherein the programming techniques mathematically factor the severity scores, the information indicative of medical transport resources available, time periods of treatment delay resulting from constrained resources available for care of the plurality of casualties, the survival probabilities, and deterioration rates applied to the severity scores due to the time periods of treatment delay. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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36. A system for performing a triage method for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the system comprising:
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one or more portable computing devices for; receiving and inputting a casualty severity score for each of a plurality of victims of the mass casualty incident, the casualty severity score based on victim physiological characteristics; receiving and inputting information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims of the mass casualty incident; and a computer processing unit at a central processing location for; receiving the casualty severity scores for each of the plurality of victims, and the information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of victims, as transmitted from the one or more portable computing devices; and determining an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of victims, wherein the determination mathematically factors the casualty severity scores and the medical transport resources available. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A triage method for determining an order of transport from a mass casualty incident that maximizes the number of survivors of the mass casualty incident, the method comprising the steps of:
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assessing one or more physiological characteristics of each of a plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene, by incident personnel at the mass casualty scene, and receiving from the incident personnel, or separately assigning, a coded value for each of the one or more physiological characteristics; receiving from the incident personnel, or separately establishing, a casualty severity score for each of the plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene using the coded value(s); inputting each casualty severity score into a computer; receiving from the incident personnel, or separately assigning, a survival probability to each casualty severity score based upon at least one characteristic of the respective casualty or of an incident responsible for the casualty; inputting the survival probability for each casualty severity score into a computer; establishing casualty severity score deterioration-with-time rates based upon at least one characteristic of an availability of state-of-the-art, or lesser levels of treatment;
a cause of the casualty incident;
a type of anatomic injury incurred by the casualty;
an age of the casualty;
treatment available at the mass casualty scene;
treatment available at other facilities;
distances to the other facilities; and
facilities or equipment available for performance of casualty management;inputting the casualty severity score deterioration-with-time rates into a computer; receiving information indicative of medical transport resources available for the plurality of casualties; determining by a computer implemented decision logic an order of transport for treatment for each of the plurality of casualties through analytical or mathematical programming techniques, wherein the programming techniques mathematically consider the casualty severity scores, the survival probabilities, the time periods of treatment delay resulting from constrained medical transport resources available for care-ef the plurality of casualties, and the casualty severity score deterioration-with-time rates applied to the severity scores due to the time periods of treatment delay; communicating the order of transport for treatment to incident personnel; and ordering the plurality of casualties at the mass casualty scene for transport from the mass casualty scene in accordance with the order of transport for treatment determined.
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Specification