The nurse is performing triage after a mass shooting in a shopping mall. To which client does the nurse assign a black tag?

A. A 21-year-old with confusion is usually classified as red (immediate priority) in mass casualty triage. Confusion may indicate hypoxia, shock, traumatic brain injury, or internal bleeding, all of which require rapid intervention to prevent death. This patient is potentially salvageable with prompt care. B. A 23-year-old with an open femur fracture is generally classified as yellow (delayed priority). Open fractures are serious but not immediately life-threatening if the patient is hemodynamically stable. This patient can safely wait for treatment after more critical cases have been addressed. C. A 26-year-old with uncontrollable anxiety but no physiologic compromise is considered green (minor/walking wounded). These patients may require psychological support, reassurance, and minor interventions but do not need immediate medical resources. D. A 29-year-old with full-thickness extremity burns is assigned a black tag (expectant) in a mass casualty situation. Black-tagged patients have injuries incompatible with survival or require resources unlikely to save them in the current situation. Full-thickness burns covering a large area can lead to severe fluid loss, risk of infection and sepsis, impaired thermoregulation, and airway compromise if inhalation injury is present. In a resource-limited, mass casualty setting, these patients are unlikely to survive despite maximal intervention, so care is focused on comfort measures while resources are prioritized for salvageable patients.