The nurse working in the emergency department is triaging a 65-year-old female client from a mass casualty motor vehicle crash. The client arrives ambulatory by ambulance and is complaining of a headache and neck pain. She is awake, alert, and oriented, and follows commands appropriately. What START triage level would be assigned to this client?

Choice A reason: Including client information on the disaster tag is crucial for identification and tracking purposes. This information ensures that each client can be accurately identified, which is essential for providing appropriate care and for communication with family members and other healthcare providers.

Choice B reason: Triage priority is an essential piece of information that indicates the level of urgency for each client's care. This prioritization helps healthcare providers quickly identify which clients need immediate attention and which can wait, thereby optimizing the use of limited resources during a mass casualty incident.

Choice C reason: Next of kin information is important for contacting family members and loved ones in case of emergency. This information is essential for communicating the client's status, obtaining additional medical history, and providing support to the family during a stressful time.

Choice D reason: Decontamination information, if applicable, indicates whether the client has undergone decontamination procedures. This is critical for ensuring that contaminated clients do not pose a risk to others, including healthcare providers and other patients, and for maintaining a safe environment within the healthcare facility.

Choice E reason: Documenting medications and treatments administered is vital for continuity of care. This information allows healthcare providers to track what treatments have been given, avoid duplication of medications, and monitor the client's response to treatment. It also ensures that any subsequent healthcare providers have a complete record of the client's care.

Choice A reason: In the START triage system, the yellow category is designated for clients who are unable to walk, but their condition is stable and does not require immediate life-saving intervention. This client, though confused, is obeying commands, has a deformity to his lower leg with good peripheral pulses, and is unable to ambulate. These factors indicate that the client's injuries need attention but are not immediately life-threatening, making the yellow category appropriate.

Choice B reason: The black category is for clients who are deceased or have injuries so severe that they are not expected to survive even with immediate medical intervention. This client does not fall into this category as he is responsive and his condition is stable.

Choice C reason: The red category is assigned to clients who require immediate life-saving intervention. Although the client is unable to walk and has a deformity to his lower leg, he is stable, obeys commands, and has good peripheral pulses. Thus, he does not meet the criteria for the red category.

Choice D reason: The green category is used for clients who can walk and have minor injuries that do not require urgent medical attention. This client is unable to ambulate, indicating that his condition is more serious than those in the green category.