Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Practice Exam 2025 - Comprehensive All-in-One Guide for Exam Success!

The main priority during triage in the field is airway maintenance and external bleeding control. This focus is paramount because it addresses the immediate life-threatening issues that can lead to rapid deterioration or death. In trauma situations, ensuring that a patient's airway is clear and that any significant bleeding is controlled can drastically improve outcomes.

When a person's airway is obstructed or when they are experiencing uncontrolled hemorrhage, the risk of mortality increases significantly. Addressing these physiological priorities allows for the stabilization of the patient, ensuring that they can be transported safely to a medical facility where further interventions can be performed.

Obtaining a detailed medical history, while important for comprehensive care, does not take precedence in the urgent setting of trauma triage. Similarly, ensuring comfort for patients is important but secondary to addressing life-threatening conditions. Transporting patients to the furthest hospital can also be counterproductive if immediate management of airway and bleeding is not handled first, as the goal is to stabilize patients before transport rather than simply moving them regardless of their condition.