While using the START system at a major incident, you encounter a patient who is apneic. After positioning the airway, the patient has a respiratory rate of 16 breaths/minute. How should you classify this patient?

• A. Immediate
• B. Delayed
• C. Minimal
• D. Expectant

Answer: (A)

In START triage, airway and breathing drive the urgency. An apneic patient is a life-threatening condition because breathing has collapsed, so they’re treated as an immediate priority. If, after you reposition the airway, the patient begins to breathe on their own (here, 16 breaths per minute), they still require urgent care and rapid transport because their airway previously failed and could deteriorate again. That’s why this patient is classified as immediate. Delayed would apply to someone who is not in immediate danger but has a serious injury, minimal for walking wounded, and expectant for those unlikely to survive. The prior apnea marks the need for rapid intervention despite the current breathing rate.