Social utility and pandemic influenza triage.

In a public health disaster, such as an influenza pandemic, the focus of medical care shifts from the needs of the individual to those of the community, so that the greatest good for the greatest number may be achieved. In a pandemic it will be necessary to maximize the benefit derived from all available local resources. Triage is the device employed to decide which patients will receive these limited medical resources. Current Pandemic Influenza triage protocols uniformly omit any consideration of individual social utility, value or worth. Yet, based upon the severity of a pandemic it may be necessary and justifiable to include these criteria in making allocation decisions. The extent and manner of inclusion will directly correlate with pandemic severity. This paper considers existing protocols and proposes a manner for fully realizing the goals applicable in a public health crisis.