Unavailable airway intervention — DipIMC MCQ

Correct answer: E — Convey to the nearest emergency department for immediate airway care

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

A is correct: If a life-saving intervention cannot be delivered pre-hospital, diversion to the nearest suitable emergency department may be safer than bypass. B is less suitable because the vignette contains high-risk features that require escalation; C is less suitable because it does not address the discriminator in the vignette; D is less suitable because it does not address the discriminator in the vignette; E is less suitable because it does not address the discriminator in the vignette. 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