During triage, which patient should be assessed second?

• A. 2‑year‑old with BP 68/44
• B. 6‑year‑old with fever 101°F and stable vitals
• C. 4‑year‑old with stable vitals
• D. 8‑year‑old with mild dehydration

Answer: (B)

In triage, you separate patients by how urgently they need life-saving care. The most unstable or at-risk patients are seen first. After addressing the most critical case, the next priority goes to someone who isn’t in immediate danger but could deteriorate or needs prompt evaluation to rule out serious illness.

A child with fever but stable vitals fits this second tier: there is no current threat to life, but fever can mask a potentially serious infection or dehydration, so they should be assessed next to confirm there’s no hidden complication and to start appropriate management. The other two stable patients—one with only mild dehydration and one with stable vitals—are lower priority because they’re less likely to deteriorate immediately and can wait a bit longer for assessment.