Spinal Injuries Flashcards
What are typical methods of injuries?
- Hyper-extension.
- Hyper-flexion.
- Hyper-rotation.
- Whiplash motion.
- Axial loading.
How do you manage a cervical spine injury of an unconscious athlete?
- Call 911.
- Monitor ABC’s.
- Do not remove any equipment or move the athlete unless necessary.
How do you manage a cervical spine injury of a conscious athlete?
- Do not move the athlete, keep them calm, rest and reassure, assess their ABC’s.
- Stabilize their head and do not remove any equipment.
- Assess sensory (can they feel their finger and toes, do they have any tingling).
- Assess motor (can they wiggle their toes and fingers).
- Treat for shock.
How do you manage a cervical spine injury of an athlete without equipment?
- Ensure you have your EAP set.
- Recruit responsible personnel to assist you.
- Rolling onto a spine board requires a minimum of four people.
- Neutral inline postion is preferred unless contraindicated.
What are the steps to placing a casualty on a spine board?
- Person in charge maintains inline immobilization and directs the logroll.
- Apply a cervical collar.
- Proper positioning of hands for logroll (1 at head, 1 at shoulders and hips, 1 at hips and knees and one on the board).
- Logroll the patient onto the spine board (follow the lead of the person controlling the head).
How do you reposition the head into a neutral inline position?
- Side bend.
- Rotation.
- Flexion.
What are the different spine board options?
- 4 person logroll (flat board, 40-45 degree board, vertical back board).
- 8 person lift option (uneven terrain).
What ranges of motion does the cervical collar reduce?
- About 75-80 degrees of flexion.
- Less than 50 degrees for the others.
What order do you stabilize a casualty to a spine bored?
- Torso (ensure to cross over the shoulders).
- Pelvis and proximal legs.
- Distal legs (towel between the legs).
- Head.
What are the general rules for helmets and shoulder pads removal?
- If spinal injury is suspected, helmets and shoulder pads should not be removed without justification.
- All or none: if the helmet is removed then the shoulder pads need to be removed before immobilizing to the bored.
- All unconscious athletes will be deemed to have a suspected spinal injury until proven otherwise.
What are the guidelines for removing helmets and shoulder pads of a conscious stable athlete?
- The fitted helmet must remain in place for all suspected spinal injuries.
- The airway must be made accessible by carefully removing the face protector before immobilization to the spine bored.
- It is preferable to cut all snubbers or loop straps and fully remove the face protector.
What are the guidelines for removing helmets and shoulder pads of an unconscious athlete?
- If stable, can maintain airway ventilation access with just the face protector removed (however for the best management the helmet and shoulder pads should be removed in a controlled manner).
- If unstable, cut the 2 lateral snubbers/clips the carefully flip up the face protector. Once ABC’s have been provided complete removal can be done.
What are the steps to removing a helmet and shoulder pads during an emergency?
- If semi-prone first preform a log roll.
- Gain access to airway by cutting loops and flipping up mask.
- Provide ABC’s.
- Remove cheek pads.
- Cut jersey up the middle and over arms.
- Cut shoulder pad straps.
- Remove helmet via 2 person technique.
- Remove the shoulder pads by pulling.
- Treat as needed via O2 airway adjuncts.
- Initiate proper boarding procedures while waiting for EMS.
How do you properly remove a helmet?
- Remove cheek pads an A/P hold is applied to the head and neck.
- Tilt the helmet shell slightly anteriorly while pulling superiorly. Do not spread helmet at ear holes.
