ABSTRACT
Of the many controversial issues surrounding the prehospital management of the victims of trauma, the decision to evacuate or stabilize on site is probably the one most often criticized. In a mass casualty situation this decision takes on a much greater significance. In brief, a multi-casualty incident can be defined as an incident where more than one patient requires transportation and treatment, but where the local facilities are able to cope. On the other hand, a mass casualty situation occurs when the local emergency services are initially overwhelmed and are only later able to respond with reinforcements. A disaster, however, is a poorly defined term which implies that the emergency services are totally overwhelmed or are themselves impaired by the incident. It can be qualified by information on the circumstances surrounding the incident, such as the cause, location, environmental conditions and so on.
