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Lightning strike arrest — DipIMC MCQ

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ModerateEnvironmental MedicineLightning strike arrestDipIMC

At an outdoor event, lightning strikes a group. One casualty is apnoeic and pulseless after the scene is made safe, while two others are conscious. What is the triage category?

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Correct answer: CPriority 1 (red)

Option C is correct because Lightning-related cardiorespiratory arrest can be reversible and receives immediate resuscitation priority. Option B is less appropriate because Priority 2 is for serious injury without immediate life-saving criteria; option E is less appropriate because Priority 3 is for walking wounded or minor casualties with stable physiology. Option D is less appropriate because expectant triage is used in exceptional resource-limited circumstances; option A is less appropriate because the stem does not meet criteria for death assignment. Clinical pearl: in DipIMC-style questions, the best answer is the intervention that changes outcome earliest in the pre-hospital phase.

Reference: MIMMS; NHS Major Incident Triage Tool