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Sickle acute chest syndrome — DipIMC MCQ

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ModerateMedical EmergenciesSickle acute chest syndromeDipIMC

A man with sickle cell disease has chest pain, fever and SpO2 91% on air. He says it is worse than usual pain crises. What is the most appropriate management?

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

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Correct answer: A — Give oxygen, analgesia and urgent transport for possible acute chest syndrome

Option A is correct because Chest pain, fever and hypoxia in sickle cell disease suggest life-threatening acute chest syndrome. Option D is less appropriate because watchful waiting risks deterioration or delays definitive care; option B is less appropriate because the clinical risk exceeds that destination or timeframe. Option C is less appropriate because it is plausible in a different scenario but suboptimal for the features described; option E is less appropriate because analgesia is important but not sufficient as the primary intervention. Clinical pearl: in DipIMC-style questions, the best answer is the intervention that changes outcome earliest in the pre-hospital phase.

Reference: JRCALC Guidelines