Field Triage Decision Scheme
Decide to Save Lives
Field Triage Decision Scheme: The National Trauma Triage Protocol
Each year, the approximately 1 million emergency medical services (EMS) providers have a substantial impact on the care of injured persons and on public health in this country. The profound importance of daily on-scene triage decisions made by EMS providers is reinforced by CDC-supported research that shows that the overall risk of death was 25 percent lower when care was provided at a Level I trauma center than when it was provided at a non-trauma center.
The “Field Triage Decision Scheme: The National Trauma Triage Protocol” (Decision Scheme) educational initiative was developed to help EMS providers, EMS medical directors, trauma system leadership, and EMS management learn about and implement the revised Decision Scheme. This Decision Scheme was developed in 2006 in partnership with the American College of Surgeons-Committee on Trauma and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and is grounded in current best practices in trauma triage. It has been endorsed by 17 organizations, along with concurrence from NHTSA, and is intended to be the foundation for the development, implementation, and evaluation of local and regional field triage protocols.
As part of this initiative, CDC has developed easy-to-use materials for EMS professionals. Each of these materials provides information that EMS professionals can use to take an active role in improving the health outcomes for persons injured in their communities.
Order these materials at no cost. (For ambulance poster, binder insert or field triage decision scheme badge email: ncipcdirinfo@cdc.gov.)
Materials
MMWR Recommendations and Reports 
[PDF 1.03 MB]
Guidelines for Field Triage of Injured Patients: Recommendations of the National Expert Panel on Field Triage
Laminated Ambulance Poster (8.5" x 11")
Laminated Binder Insert (8.5" x 11")
Badge (2.5" x 3.5")
Power Point Presentation 
(7.4MB, 35 slides)
View Presentation as PDF 
(1.8 MB, 35 pages)
Continuing Education (CMEs, CNEs, CEUs)
Continuing Education Activity credit is available through CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR) Continuing Education Program. To access the report and accompanying exam, visit: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/cme/conted.html.
Download Your Free Copy of the Exam
View, save, or print a free copy of the MMWR (Vol.58 No.RR-1) “Guidelines for Field Triage of Injured Patients” continuing education exam.
Important Information for EMS Providers:
This continuing education activity is approved by the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS).
CECBEMS Activity #: 08-CECB-F2-0879 CEU Number and Type: 2.0 Advanced
Once you have completed the online continuing education activity through CDC, follow these instructions to receive CECBEMS credit and to download the required form.
Endorsing Organizations
Air and Surface Transport Nurses Association
Air Medical Physician Association
American Academy of Pediatrics
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Surgeons
American Medical Association
American Pediatric Surgical Association
American Public Health Association
Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems
International Association of Flight Paramedics
National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
National Association of EMS Educators
National Association of EMS Physicians
National Association of State EMS Officials
National Native American EMS Association
National Ski Patrol
The Joint Commission
With concurrence from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
When in doubt, transport to a trauma center.
Learn more about Advances in Motor Vehicle Crash Response
For more information about CDC’s efforts to develop evidence-based protocols for the emergency medical community to effectively use automotive telemetry data, visit http://www.cdc.gov/injuryresponse/aacn.html.
Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)
4770 Buford Hwy, NE
MS F-63
Atlanta, GA 30341-3717 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
24 Hours/Every Day - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
