Catastrophic bleed triage — DipIMC MCQ

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EasyTraumaCatastrophic bleed triageDipIMC

At a multi-vehicle collision, a 48-year-old has spurting lower-leg haemorrhage and is unable to walk. He is shouting for help and radial pulse is present. What is the triage category?

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

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Correct answer: C — P1 / immediate

Explanation lettering: C = shown as A · D = shown as B · A = shown as C · E = shown as D · B = shown as E

A is correct: Catastrophic haemorrhage requiring immediate control is a priority one problem even before other physiological checks. B is less suitable because the stem does not describe persistent apnoea or injuries incompatible with life; C is less suitable because P3 is for delayed casualties, usually walking or physiologically stable; D is less suitable because P2 is urgent but not the best category for the physiology described; E is less suitable because the patient has clinically significant illness or injury. The most tempting alternative is therefore suboptimal because it either delays the time-critical pre-hospital intervention or sends the patient to the wrong level of care. The key DipIMC principle is focused cABCDE decision-making with early pre-alert, triage or retrieval escalation when the scene physiology demands it.

Reference: JRCALC Guidelines; NICE Major Trauma NG39; ATACC