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Maternal cardiac arrest — DipIMC MCQ

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HardResuscitationMaternal cardiac arrestDipIMC

A 34-year-old at 32 weeks' gestation collapses in a community clinic. She is pulseless and apnoeic; staff are performing compressions on a standard trolley. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

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Correct answer: C — Start ALS with manual left uterine displacement and call for obstetric and neonatal support

Start ALS with manual left uterine displacement and call for obstetric and neonatal support is the best answer because pregnancy beyond mid-gestation requires standard ALS with relief of aortocaval compression and early specialist help. Perform a full secondary survey before treating the abnormality is less appropriate because secondary survey follows correction of immediate life threats; Transport without treating the identified time-critical problem is less appropriate because movement alone may not reverse the immediate physiology. Give a large crystalloid bolus before controlling the injury and Delay intervention until arrival at hospital 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: Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines; JRCALC Guidelines