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Caustic ingestion child — DipIMC MCQ

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ModerateEnvironmental MedicineCaustic ingestion childDipIMC

A toddler is found beside an opened bottle of drain cleaner, drooling with burns around the lips but breathing spontaneously. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

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

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Correct answer: E — Do not induce vomiting; transport urgently with airway monitoring

Option E is correct because Caustic ingestion can cause airway and oesophageal injury, and vomiting or neutralisation can worsen harm. Option C is less appropriate because oxygen may be supportive, but it does not address the defining time-critical problem first; option A is less appropriate because vascular access is useful, but it should not delay the immediate priority. Option D is less appropriate because it is plausible in a different scenario but suboptimal for the features described; option B 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; TOXBASE principles