If you find the back of the ambulance contaminated with bloody dressings and you lack airway equipment on a call, the best course is to:

• A. Continue to the next call using the same setup.
• B. Attempt to improvise with improvised equipment.
• C. Advise the dispatcher that you are out of service and to send another unit.
• D. Return to the hospital to restock.

Answer: (C)

Infection control and equipment readiness drive the right move here. When the back of the ambulance is contaminated with bloody dressings, you face a real risk of exposure, and you’re also without essential airway equipment. Proceeding as if nothing is wrong can put you, your crew, and any patient at risk and may compromise care if airway support becomes suddenly needed.

The best course is to tell the dispatcher you are out of service and request another unit. This immediately stops work on a compromised scene, brings in a replacement crew with a clean, decontaminated vehicle and the necessary equipment, and allows you to decontaminate, restock, and reassess safety before returning to service. It keeps patient care safe and up to standard.

Continuing to the next call with the same setup would spread contamination and expose you and future patients to infection. Improvising with makeshift equipment is unreliable and unsafe for airway management. Returning to the hospital to restock addresses the equipment issue but delays patient care on the current call, which is not the best choice when a ready replacement unit is available.