skip to main content

Pre-hospital emergency anaesthesia — DIPIMC MCQ

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

HardRetrieval and TransportPre-hospital emergency anaesthesiaDIPIMCDipIMC

A patient with a severe traumatic brain injury is GCS 6 and is vomiting and hypoxic despite basic airway manoeuvres. An experienced pre-hospital critical care team is available, and the transfer time is 30 minutes.

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

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: C — Perform pre-hospital emergency anaesthesia to secure the airway and optimise oxygenation.

A head-injured patient with a low GCS who is vomiting and hypoxic despite basic measures meets the criteria for pre-hospital emergency anaesthesia by a competent team, to protect the airway and prevent secondary brain injury from hypoxia and aspiration. Sedation without a definitive airway risks aspiration and apnoea. Delaying a clearly indicated airway intervention worsens outcome in severe traumatic brain injury.

Reference: NICE NG232 (Head injury)