In START triage, what does the RPM acronym stand for?

In START triage, what does the RPM acronym stand for?

• A. Respirations, Perfusion, Mental status
• B. Respirations, Pulse, Mental status
• C. Respirations, Perfusion, Mobility
• D. Respirations, Pressure, Movement

Answer: (A)

In START triage, the RPM sequence stands for Respirations, Perfusion, Mental status. This is how responders quickly sort victims: first check respirations—if the person isn’t breathing after the airway is opened, that signals urgent attention; if they are breathing, evaluate the rate to see if it’s excessively fast or slow. Next assess perfusion by feeling for a pulse or checking capillary refill; poor perfusion indicates higher priority. Finally assess mental status by asking the person to follow simple commands; if they can’t, that suggests a greater need for rapid care. Running through these three checks rapidly helps determine who needs immediate life-saving intervention and who can wait.

In START triage, the RPM sequence stands for Respirations, Perfusion, Mental status. This is how responders quickly sort victims: first check respirations—if the person isn’t breathing after the airway is opened, that signals urgent attention; if they are breathing, evaluate the rate to see if it’s excessively fast or slow. Next assess perfusion by feeling for a pulse or checking capillary refill; poor perfusion indicates higher priority. Finally assess mental status by asking the person to follow simple commands; if they can’t, that suggests a greater need for rapid care. Running through these three checks rapidly helps determine who needs immediate life-saving intervention and who can wait.