Life-threatening asthma — DipIMC MCQ

Correct answer: A — Give high-flow oxygen, nebulised bronchodilator and request urgent support

Option A is correct because Silent chest, hypoxia and exhaustion indicate life-threatening asthma requiring oxygen, bronchodilators and escalation. Option B is less appropriate because oxygen may be supportive, but it does not address the defining time-critical problem first; option D is less appropriate because vascular access is useful, but it should not delay the immediate priority. Option E 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: JRCALC Guidelines