Asthma peri-arrest — DipIMC MCQ

Correct answer: E — Call critical care support, assist ventilation and prepare for cardiac arrest

Call critical care support, assist ventilation and prepare for cardiac arrest is the best answer because silent chest, exhaustion and altered consciousness indicate life-threatening asthma with impending arrest. Give a large crystalloid bolus before controlling the injury is less appropriate because fluid cannot replace early control of bleeding or ventilation problems; Wait for imaging before intervening is less appropriate because imaging is not available or appropriate before treating a clinical life threat. Delay intervention until arrival at hospital and Transport without treating the identified time-critical problem 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; Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines