Which tag color would you assign to a patient with an abrasion or sprain?

• A. Green tag
• B. Yellow tag
• C. Black tag
• D. Red tag

Answer: (A)

In triage, color tags quickly communicate how urgently a patient needs care. The green tag is used for minor injuries—patients who are stable, not in immediate danger, and can wait a bit for treatment. An abrasion or sprain typically doesn’t threaten life or require immediate life-saving intervention, and the patient can usually be managed with basic first aid and observation. That makes green the most appropriate choice because it preserves critical resources for those with life-threatening needs.

To put it in context, red tags are for immediate threats to life, yellow tags for injuries that require attention soon but aren’t immediately life-threatening, and black tags are for those who are deceased or whose injuries are unsurvivable with available resources. The abrasion or sprain fits the green category, which is why it’s the best match.