Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Volume 19, Number 1, Spring 2012 issue of Dignitas, the Center’s quarterly publication. Subscriptions to Dignitas are available to CBHD Members.

Abstract: Ethicists must now consider the difficult issues of a groundbreaking third type of triage in civilian Mass Casualty Events (MCEs), in addition to intake and reverse triage. Catastrophic events such as Hurricane Katrina make it clear that some patients who require life support following an MCE may not receive it, merely for lack of available resources. These patients are likely to die. The resource gap may nevertheless contract if we apply existing trends in healthcare to MCE planning.