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Tension pneumothorax — DipIMC MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

EasyPre-Hospital Trauma ManagementTension pneumothoraxDipIMC

A motorcyclist has right chest trauma, severe breathlessness, hypotension, distended neck veins and absent right breath sounds. Oxygen has been applied and transfer will take 25 minutes. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

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

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Correct answer: D — Perform immediate chest decompression for suspected tension pneumothorax

Option D is correct because Haemodynamic instability with severe respiratory compromise after chest trauma is enough to treat tension pneumothorax clinically. 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 B is less appropriate because it is plausible in a different scenario but suboptimal for the features described; option E 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: NICE Major Trauma NG39; JRCALC Guidelines