Burn cooling child — DipIMC MCQ

Correct answer: C — Cool the burn with cool running water and prevent hypothermia

Option C is correct because Thermal burns benefit from prompt cooling while children must be protected from systemic hypothermia. Option B 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 D 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: JRCALC Guidelines; British Burn Association guidance