A mass casualty incident is defined as any incident involving what range of patients?

A mass casualty incident is typically characterized by an overwhelming number of patients that exceeds the capacity of available medical resources to manage effectively. The range of 25 to 100 patients is widely recognized within emergency management and healthcare settings as the threshold for classifying an event as a mass casualty incident. This range indicates a significant level of incident severity, where standard emergency response protocols may become insufficient due to the volume of patients needing immediate care.

In contrast, lower numbers, such as fewer than 25, may not necessitate a full mass casualty response, while higher ranges, such as 100 to 200 or above, may require an escalation in resources but are not the standard threshold for classification. Therefore, the identification of a mass casualty incident primarily within the 25 to 100 patient range allows for a more effective and structured response in scenarios that demand concentrated medical efforts.