Triage urgent respiratory rate — DipIMC MCQ

Correct answer: C — Priority 1

Priority 1 is the best answer because marked tachypnoea in a non-walking casualty indicates an immediate priority in physiological triage. Untriaged is less appropriate because leaving the casualty untriaged undermines casualty flow and command; Dead is less appropriate because dead triage requires no signs of life after simple airway assessment. Priority 2 and Priority 3 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: MIMMS Major Incident Medical Management and Support; NHS England Major Incident Triage Tool