An example illustrating a Black tag patient would be which scenario?

• A. A head wound not expected to live
• B. A sprain
• C. A minor cut
• D. A broken finger with stable vitals

Answer: (A)

In triage, colors are used to indicate who needs immediate care and who is unlikely to survive with available resources. A Black tag, or “expectant” tag, is assigned to patients whose injuries are so severe that survival is unlikely even with treatment; resources are redirected to those with a better chance of recovery. A head wound not expected to live fits this because the prognosis is grim regardless of intervention. The other scenarios describe injuries that are non-life-threatening or have a reasonable chance of survival with care, so they would be classified as Green (minor) or Yellow (delayed), not Black.