Walking wounded triage — DipIMC MCQ

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ModerateTraumaWalking wounded triageDipIMC

At a rail incident, a 25-year-old walks to the casualty clearing point with superficial forearm lacerations. He is orientated, respiratory rate 18 and radial pulse is present. What is the triage category?

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

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B — P3 / delayed

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

B is correct: A walking casualty with minor injuries and normal basic physiology is usually triaged delayed after initial sieve assessment. A is less suitable because the patient has clinically significant illness or injury; C is less suitable because the stem does not describe persistent apnoea or injuries incompatible with life; D is less suitable because P1 is reserved for immediate life-threatening physiology or intervention need; E is less suitable because P2 is urgent but not the best category for the physiology described. 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