A 29-year-old male with severe left flank pain; vitals stable; what is the recommended EMS action?

• A. Transport him.
• B. Apply hot packs to his left flank.
• C. Apply cold packs to his left flank.
• D. Administer aspirin.

Answer: (A)

When a patient has severe flank pain but remains stable, the priority is to transport him to an ED for definitive evaluation and treatment. Flank pain can stem from kidney stones, infection, or other intra-abdominal problems that require imaging (often CT or ultrasound) and medical management that can’t be determined in the field. Even with stable vitals, delaying transport risks missing a serious condition.

Hot or cold packs provide only temporary relief and don’t address the underlying issue, and giving aspirin isn’t the appropriate primary action here because it doesn’t advance diagnosis or definitive care and could complicate care or masking symptoms. Focus on comfort and continuous monitoring, and follow protocol for analgesia if allowed, but the key step is prompt transport to access imaging and definitive treatment.