Principles of Prehospital Care of Musculoskeletal Injuries

Emergency Transport and Radiographic Evaluation Following Spinal Cord Injury

“…[11][12][13][14] As a consequence, complete spine immobilization and cross-body strapping is recommended in the transport of patients to the hospital setting. [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] During the last 30 years, the neurological status of SCI patients arriving in emergency departments has dramatically improved. During the 1970s, most patients (55%) re-ferred to regional SCI centers arrived with complete neurological lesions; whereas in the 1980s, most spinal cord-injured patients (61%) arrived with incomplete lesions.…”

“…[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] In North America, spine immobilization is one of the most frequently performed procedures in the preadmission care of patients with acute trauma. 11,[13][14][15][17][18][19][20]25,40,41 Immobilization of an unstable cervical spinal injury is supported by Class III evidence only. There is no clear documentation of neurological worsening in the setting of inadequate spinal stabilization.…”