Triage and the Value of a Life

Five Days at Memorial

The book tracks competing principles for allocating scarce resources, from battlefield triage to disaster protocols and public deliberation.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Battlefield Principle The Battlefield Principle from "Five Days at Memorial". The Battlefield Principle Treating the Most Wounded Dominique-Jean Larrey argued that the gravely wounded should receive attention first, regardless of rank.

The Battlefield Principle from "Five Days at Memorial". The Battlefield Principle Treating the Most Wounded Dominique-Jean Larrey argued that the gravely wounded should receive attention first, regardless of rank.

The Battlefield Principle Treating the Most Wounded Dominique-Jean Larrey argued that the gravely wounded should receive attention first, regardless of rank. His approach treated urgency of need as the governing principle. Equality Under Pressure The principle opposed social status as a basis for rescue. It became a lasting contrast to later systems that prioritize patients more likely to survive or return to useful work.

Efficiency Enters Triage Efficiency Enters Triage from "Five Days at Memorial". Efficiency Enters Triage The Beyond-Saving Category John Wilson introduced a category for patients unlikely to benefit from available treatment.

Efficiency Enters Triage from "Five Days at Memorial". Efficiency Enters Triage The Beyond-Saving Category John Wilson introduced a category for patients unlikely to benefit from available treatment.

Efficiency Enters Triage The Beyond-Saving Category John Wilson introduced a category for patients unlikely to benefit from available treatment. Later systems used similar judgments during mass-casualty events. The Risk of Error Predicting survival is uncertain, and different rescuers may classify the same patient differently. A category intended to conserve resources can become a sentence if not reassessed.

Memorial’s Categories Memorial’s Categories from "Five Days at Memorial". Memorial’s Categories A Local System Memorial divided patients into numbered groups, sending those able to walk or sit first and the sickest later.

Memorial’s Categories from "Five Days at Memorial". Memorial’s Categories A Local System Memorial divided patients into numbered groups, sending those able to walk or sit first and the sickest later.

Memorial’s Categories A Local System Memorial divided patients into numbered groups, sending those able to walk or sit first and the sickest later. DNR patients were also assigned to the last group. The System’s Assumptions The categories were improvised, lacked a shared protocol, and did not account consistently for changing conditions. They translated uncertain judgments into visible labels with real consequences.

Competing Moral Theories Competing Moral Theories from "Five Days at Memorial". Competing Moral Theories Maximizing Rescue A utilitarian approach might send first those most likely to survive or yield the greatest benefit to the group.

Competing Moral Theories from "Five Days at Memorial". Competing Moral Theories Maximizing Rescue A utilitarian approach might send first those most likely to survive or yield the greatest benefit to the group.

Competing Moral Theories Maximizing Rescue A utilitarian approach might send first those most likely to survive or yield the greatest benefit to the group. A justice-based approach gives priority to those in greatest immediate danger. The Individual Claim Random allocation offers equal chances but may disregard differences in need. No approach can avoid moral tradeoffs, and each places different burdens on those least able to advocate for themselves.

Public Values Unasked Public Values Unasked from "Five Days at Memorial". Public Values Unasked Plans Made by Experts State and hospital protocols for ventilator rationing were often developed without meaningful public consultation.

Public Values Unasked from "Five Days at Memorial". Public Values Unasked Plans Made by Experts State and hospital protocols for ventilator rationing were often developed without meaningful public consultation.

Public Values Unasked Plans Made by Experts State and hospital protocols for ventilator rationing were often developed without meaningful public consultation. The plans risked encoding assumptions about age, disability, and prognosis. Deliberation as Safeguard Public engagement in Maryland and Seattle showed that non-experts could reason about complex values. The book argues that communities should help shape rules before a crisis forces choices.

1806

1846 and later

August 31, 2005

During the evacuation

2009–2013