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Decompression sickness — ACEM Fellowship MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

HardEnvironmental emergenciesDecompression sicknessACEM Fellowship

A 74-year-old on apixaban falls and strikes his head. He has GCS 15 but had witnessed loss of consciousness and vomited once. Which investigation is most appropriate?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C — CT head with senior trauma assessment

Explanation lettering: E = shown as A · A = shown as C · C = shown as D · D = shown as E

A is correct. Older age, anticoagulation, loss of consciousness and vomiting are high-risk features after head injury that require urgent CT-based assessment and senior trauma review. B does not exclude intracranial injury. C is not the routine initial acute study. D and E fail to assess the relevant injury risk.

Reference: NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation: Initial management of closed head injuries in adults: https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/networks/trauma/resources/head-injury