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Avalanche burial — DipIMC MCQ

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HardResuscitationAvalanche burialDipIMC

A skier is dug out after 25 minutes buried in snow. He is unconscious, not breathing normally and very cold, with snow in the airway. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

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

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Correct answer: B — Clear the airway and start ventilations with CPR while preventing heat loss

Option B is correct because Avalanche victims often arrest from asphyxia with hypothermia, making airway clearance and ventilation immediate priorities. Option D is less appropriate because oxygen may be supportive, but it does not address the defining time-critical problem first; option E is less appropriate because vascular access is useful, but it should not delay the immediate priority. Option A is less appropriate because it is plausible in a different scenario but suboptimal for the features described; option C is less appropriate because delay would increase clinical risk. Clinical pearl: in DipIMC-style questions, the best answer is the intervention that changes outcome earliest in the pre-hospital phase.

Reference: Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines