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Trauma handover documentation — DipIMC MCQ

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ModerateScene Safety and GovernanceTrauma handover documentationDipIMC

You are handing over a stabbed patient to the emergency department. The patient received a tourniquet, ketamine and chest decompression during transfer. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

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

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Correct answer: A — Give a structured ATMIST handover including timings of interventions and response

ATMIST gives a concise trauma handover: Age, Time, Mechanism, Injuries, Signs and Treatment. Timings of tourniquet, drugs and decompression are safety-critical. A long unstructured narrative can obscure important information during resuscitation. The pearl is that handover is a clinical intervention with failure modes.

Reference: NICE Major Trauma NG39; JRCALC Guidelines 2025