In a mass-casualty situation, which client should be prioritized for treatment?

In a mass-casualty situation, the prioritization of treatment is based on the severity of injuries and the immediacy of the need for medical intervention. The correct choice indicates a critical understanding of the triage process, which aims to identify patients who require immediate attention to improve their chances of survival.

In this context, a client who has no spontaneous breathing requires the highest priority. This is because the absence of spontaneous breathing indicates a life-threatening condition that demands urgent intervention to prevent death. Without immediate resuscitation efforts, this client is likely to succumb to their injuries.

The other scenarios involve patients with varying degrees of injury. The client with burns on both legs is in pain and unable to move, but while burns are serious, the immediate lack of vital signs (like spontaneous breathing) takes precedence. The client with a metal rod penetrating the forearm is also in need of care, suggesting a potentially serious injury that requires evaluation and treatment, but it does not pose the same immediate risk to life as not breathing. Similarly, the client with a small laceration and who is walking aimlessly represents a lower priority because their injuries are minor and they are stable enough to be mobile.

In summary, the prioritization process in mass-cas