Acute epiglottitis adult — DipIMC MCQ

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HardMedical EmergenciesAcute epiglottitis adultDipIMC

A 52-year-old has fever, severe sore throat, drooling and a muffled voice in a rural car park. He is sitting forward and becomes distressed when asked to lie down. What is the most appropriate transport decision?

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Correct answer: E — Keep him upright, minimise examination and arrange urgent airway-capable transfer

Keep him upright, minimise examination and arrange urgent airway-capable transfer is the best answer because suspected supraglottic infection can deteriorate suddenly and should not be provoked by unnecessary examination. Allow self-evacuation in a private vehicle is less appropriate because private transport is unsafe for an unstable or potentially unstable casualty; Transport to the nearest hospital without pre-alert is less appropriate because unstructured destination choice can delay trauma-team activation. Transport to the nearest minor injury unit and Remain on scene until observations normalise 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; NICE CKS Sore throat