Final answer:
In triage, a child breathing fewer than 15 breaths per minute requires immediate medical attention and would be tagged as immediate or red in systems like the START method. This indicates a possible life-threatening condition, as the normal respiratory rate for a healthy child should be higher than this.
Step-by-step explanation:
During triage, tagging a child based on their breathing rate is essential in assessing their condition and urgency of care. In triage, a child breathing fewer than 15 breaths per minute, which is lower than the normal respiratory rate for a healthy child, could be an indication of respiratory distress or failure. Triage systems like the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) method would categorize such a child as immediate or red, which means that the child requires immediate medical attention since this is a sign of a potential life-threatening condition.
The Apgar score, used immediately after birth, also considers respiration as a critical criterion, where low scores indicate a need for urgent medical attention. However, the question pertains to the triage scenario, not the neonatal Apgar assessment. Given the broader range of ages in a typical triage situation, it should be remembered that a normal respiratory rate decreases with age, from about 30-60 breaths per minute in infants to 12-18 by adolescence. Accordingly, fewer than 15 breaths per minute is of particular concern in triage settings for any child, not just newborns, and requires a red tag indicating the need for immediate intervention.