Facial burns with airway risk — DipIMC MCQ

Correct answer: B — Request airway-capable critical care support and transfer urgently to an appropriate trauma or burns centre

Request airway-capable critical care support and transfer urgently to an appropriate trauma or burns centre is the best answer because soot, hoarseness and facial burns suggest inhalational injury with a narrowing airway. Transport to the nearest hospital without pre-alert is less appropriate because unstructured destination choice can delay trauma-team activation; Remain on scene until observations normalise is less appropriate because normalising observations at scene can delay definitive treatment. Delay transport for full wound cleaning and Transport to the nearest minor injury unit are also suboptimal because they move attention away from the key pre-hospital priority.. The key DipIMC principle is to treat immediate reversible threats, communicate clearly and move the patient toward the right definitive care.

Reference: JRCALC Guidelines; British Burn Association Pre-hospital Burn Consensus; ATACC Manual