REMOTE REVERSE TRIAGE IN AVALANCHE RESCUE

Remote reverse triage is an effective tool to optimize survival chances in companion and organized avalanche rescue. In the majority of cases avalanche accidents with multiple burials lead to a shortage of rescue resources, the rescue party is usually incapable of providing optimal rescue efforts to all buried subjects simultaneously. The shortage of resources leads to a selection based on the chronological order the buried subjects are located and excavated. Remote reverse triage algorithms optimize this sequence by targeting survival chance optimization for all the buried subjects. Similar triage algorithms can be found for rescue environments with a comparable set of problems, i.e. earthquake rescue. Unfortunately, triage does not have an appropriate place in course curriculums today and the image of triage suffers from irrational myths. It is an important task of modern educators to inform trainees in a rational manner about triage algorithms starting at a very early stage in avalanche rescue training.