Why Priorities Matter
Many exam questions ask what to do first. The answer usually follows the order of life threats: airway, breathing, circulation. Fixing a minor problem before a major one is a classic distractor.
Examples
A patient with a broken leg who is also making gurgling sounds needs suctioning before splinting. A patient with severe bleeding needs hemorrhage control early, which in trauma is addressed before airway in many modern algorithms. Read the scenario to see which threat is greatest.
Exceptions
Scene safety always comes before patient care. Cardiac arrest in an adult starts with compressions. Use these anchors to cut through confusing question stems.