You arrive at a residence and find a man unresponsive with no witnesses. You should assume that he:

• A. Is having a diabetic reaction.
• B. Is having a heart attack.
• C. Has sustained an injury.
• D. Has a heat-related emergency.

Answer: (C)

When you arrive to an unresponsive person with no witnesses, the default approach is to treat as a potential traumatic injury. You can’t determine the cause from the scene alone, and there may be hidden injuries or spinal injuries you’d miss if you assume a medical event like a diabetic crisis, a heart problem, or heat illness. This mindset guides you to protect the airway, support breathing, check circulation, immobilize the head and neck if trauma is suspected, and rapidly transport. In this scenario, the statement that he has sustained an injury fits because you’re prioritizing a trauma-oriented assessment and management plan in the face of unknown mechanism. The other options rely on history or symptoms you don’t have, so they aren’t as appropriate as the default trauma assumption.