skip to main content

Paediatric submersion triage — DipIMC MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

HardMajor IncidentsPaediatric submersion triageDipIMC

At a ferry incident, a 6-year-old child is pulled from water and is not breathing. Resources allow airway opening and brief ventilatory assessment. What is the triage category?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: E — Consider five rescue breaths before final triage decision

MITT includes a paediatric exception where children under 12 who are not breathing may receive five rescue breaths if resources allow in submersion, immersion or smoke inhalation contexts. Immediate adult-style dead triage would miss a potentially reversible hypoxic arrest. The child is not walking or stable enough for P3. The pearl is that paediatric major incident triage includes limited rescue-breath exceptions for hypoxic mechanisms.

Reference: NHS England MITT 2023; Resuscitation Council UK Paediatric Guidelines 2025