According to guidelines, how should retained ordnance in a patient be treated regarding its status?

In the context of medical treatment for patients with retained ordnance, viewing all retained ordnance as armed to some degree is essential for ensuring the safety of both the patient and medical personnel. This guideline stems from the inherent unpredictability associated with any explosive device that may have been lodged in or around a patient’s body.

When medical personnel treat a patient with retained ordnance, it is critical to maintain a high level of caution. The reasons for categorizing all retained ordnance as armed include the potential for instability of the device, the presence of undetected mechanisms that could cause detonation, and the possibility that the ordnance may still be operational despite being retained in the body. By treating it as armed, medical teams make safety a priority, implementing appropriate protocols that minimize risks during examination, treatment, or potential retrieval of the ordnance.

The other options do not account for the necessary caution required in medical scenarios involving retained ordnance. For example, assuming that all retained ordnance is deactivated could lead to dangerous oversight that may jeopardize the safety of medical staff and the patient. Similarly, only considering enemy ordnance as armed fails to acknowledge that any device has the potential to be hazardous, whether or not it is known to be enemy-sourced.