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Asthma cardiac arrest — DipIMC MCQ

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HardResuscitationAsthma cardiac arrestDipIMC

A young adult with severe asthma becomes pulseless. Ventilation is difficult with high airway pressures and there was a silent chest before arrest. What is the most appropriate management?

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

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Correct answer: B — Ventilate cautiously and treat reversible bronchospasm and air trapping

Option B is correct because Asthma arrest requires ALS plus avoidance of dynamic hyperinflation and ongoing bronchodilator therapy. Option D is less appropriate because watchful waiting risks deterioration or delays definitive care; option E is less appropriate because the clinical risk exceeds that destination or timeframe. Option C is less appropriate because it is plausible in a different scenario but suboptimal for the features described; option A is less appropriate because analgesia is important but not sufficient as the primary intervention. 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