Non-walking stable ankle injury — DipIMC MCQ

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ModerateScene Safety, Medicolegal and CommunicationNon-walking stable ankle injuryDipIMC

After evacuation from a small building fire, an adult cannot walk because of an ankle deformity. They are alert, RR 20, pulse 100, have no burns and no signs of smoke inhalation. They have already moved clear of the hazard. What is the triage category?

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Correct answer: B — Priority 2 (yellow)

Option B is correct because A non-walking casualty with stable airway, breathing and circulation is commonly Priority 2 because urgent care is needed but no immediate life-saving intervention is indicated. Priority 3 is inappropriate because the patient cannot mobilise, while Priority 1 would require life-threatening physiology. Smoke exposure remains a reassessment point if respiratory symptoms develop. Option A is less appropriate because Priority 1 is reserved for immediate life-saving needs or severe physiological compromise; option E is less appropriate because Priority 3 is for walking wounded or minor casualties with stable physiology. Option C is less appropriate because expectant triage is used in exceptional resource-limited circumstances; option D 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 England Major Incident Triage Tool