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Carbon monoxide in pregnancy — DipIMC MCQ

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ModerateEnvironmental MedicineCarbon monoxide in pregnancyDipIMC

A pregnant woman has headache and dizziness after faulty heater exposure. Her partner has similar symptoms and pulse oximetry reads 100% on air. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

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

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Correct answer: DGive high-concentration oxygen and transport for assessment

Option D is correct because Carbon monoxide poisoning is dangerous in pregnancy and pulse oximetry is unreliable. Option B is less appropriate because oxygen may be supportive, but it does not address the defining time-critical problem first; option E is less appropriate because vascular access is useful, but it should not delay the immediate priority. Option A 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; Resuscitation Council UK First Aid Guidelines