If a patient has burns covering 30 percent or more of their body surface, what color tag should be applied?

In triage situations, specific colored tags are used to prioritize patients based on the severity of their injuries. A patient with burns covering 30 percent or more of their body surface is considered to have critical injuries, necessitating immediate medical attention. The application of a red tag signifies that the patient is in a critical condition, requiring urgent treatment.

Red tags are utilized for patients with life-threatening conditions who can still be saved with prompt interventions. Given the extent of burns described—30 percent or more of body surface area—a red tag indicates that the patient is a high priority for evacuation and treatment.

Other colors such as green typically represent walking wounded or less severe injuries, while purple and yellow may indicate varying levels of priority or specific conditions not directly related to severe burns. Thus, the appropriate action in this scenario aligns with the practice of tagging patients based on the urgency of their medical needs, confirming that the correct choice is to apply a red tag for serious burn victims.