LESSON 2
ROUTE A CASUALTY THROUGH A DECONTAMINATION STATION
2-1.
ROUTE CASUALTIES THROUGH THE TRIAGE AREA
a. Routing of casualties must be efficiently accomplished in order to promote
effective decontamination and treatment while at the same time conserving valuable
resources. The senior medic on each side of the "hot line" is responsible for smooth
casualty flow. Consider all casualties to be contaminated if no clarifying information is
available. Casualties will be sorted in the triage area.
(1) Casualties vvho have life-threatening conventional injuries in addition to
chemical contamination are routed to the contaminated emergency treatment area by
the senior medic where they are stabilized prior to decontamination of rearward
evacuation.
(2) Casualties who have conventional injuries in addition to chemical
contamination but do not require emergency intervention to save life or limb are routed
by the senior medic to the clothing removal/skin decontamination area.
(3) A senior physician will route casualties who are stable and require
definitive treatment at the corps level to a contaminated holding area to wait rearward
evacuation along a contaminated evacuation route. If the casualty load permits, the
casualties should be decontaminated before rearward evacuation.
(4) Incoming unconventional casualties are routed directly to the clean
treatment area by the senior physician.
(5) Ambulatory casualties are routed to the decontamination area the senior
physician and directed to use self-aid or buddy-aid to decontaminate themselves.
Ambulatory casualties may also be directed to use the unit personnel decontamination
area in accordance with local standing operating procedures (SOP).
b. All of the steps necessary to correctly establish priorities for the treatment and
evacuation on an integrated battlefield will be performed.
(1)
Survey for conventional injuries.
(2)
Survey for signs and symptoms of chemical agent poisoning.
(3) Check the casualty's response to simple directions such as, "Hold up
your right arm."
MD0537
2-2