Within what time frame must transport to the nearest ED be feasible to allow withholding resuscitation in severe traumatic injury?

• A. Within 5 minutes
• B. Within 15 minutes
• C. Within 30 minutes
• D. Within 60 minutes

Answer: (B)

In trauma care, decisions about withholding resuscitation hinge on how quickly a patient can reach definitive care. If transporting the patient to the nearest ED can be arranged within a short, feasible window, clinicians may consider withholding resuscitation in line with protocols that emphasize rapid access to hospital-based interventions. The commonly used threshold for this feasibility is about fifteen minutes. This timeframe reflects a practical boundary: it’s short enough to ensure rapid definitive treatment, yet realistic in real-world EMS operations. Transport times longer than this reduction typically shift the balance toward continuing resuscitation on scene and prioritizing expedited transfer, rather than withholding care. The other options—five minutes is rarely achievable in practice, while thirty or sixty minutes generally exceed the window where timely hospital care can meaningfully alter outcomes in severe trauma.