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CBRN self-presentation — DipIMC MCQ

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

ModerateScene Safety, Medicolegal and CommunicationCBRN self-presentationDipIMC

Several people arrive at an urgent treatment centre entrance after a chemical leak at a nearby factory. They are coughing, vomiting and have wet clothing with a strong solvent smell. Staff are beginning to bring them into the waiting room. 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 — Keep patients outside, isolate the area and request hazardous materials support

Option D is correct because Potentially contaminated casualties should not be brought into a clinical area before isolation and decontamination planning. The tempting option is to start immediate indoor assessment, but this may contaminate staff, patients and the facility. Early recognition, isolation, communication and specialist support protect the wider response. Option E 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 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 Major, Complex and High Risk Incidents; NARU; MIMMS