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RescueDigest’s Top Picks of essential resources for critical topics in emergency services.
What have we been doing all these years?
Spinal injuries cause an estimated 6,000 deaths and 5,000 new cases of quadriplegia each year. It’s no wonder that EMS providers have been taught, “Better to board them all than miss a single injury.” But universal spinal immobilization has its own costs and risks, and there are better options. Should we be “boarding” everyone, no one, or somewhere in between? What is “safe” and what are the liabilities? These resources help you examine EMS field care of traumatic c-spine injuries evaluating different selective spinal stabilization protocols, pros and cons of common spinal stabilization tools and techniques and methods for providers of any level to help their system adopt and implement these best practices.
Spinal Stabilization Resources for EMS
- R. Duckworth Prehospital spinal injury care and backboards – EMSWorld.com
- Prehospital Spinal Immobilization – EMSWorld.com
- Research Suggests Time for Change in Prehospital Spinal Immobilization – Patient Care – @ JEMS.com
- www.nasemso.org/Councils/MedicalDirectors/documents/SpinalImmobilization-GeorgeLindbeck.pdf
- www.naemsp.org/Documents/Position%20Papers/POSITION%20IndicationsforSpinalImmobilization.pdf
- R. Duckworth Fire/EMS Article: Fire Engineering: Questioning Spinal Immobilization!
Selective C-Spine Model Protocols
- www.maine.gov/ems/documents/2013_Maine_EMS_Protocols.pdf
- www.gov.mb.ca/health/ems/protocols/cspine_clearance.pdf
- www.ncems.org/pdf/Pro12-SpinalImmobilizationClearance.pdf
- www.adaweb.net/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=FmcdvtU0yIs%3D&tabid=798
- www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/emergency-services/treatment-protocols-addendum-1101.pdf
- www.centraloregonfireservices.org/ECEMS/documents/SelectiveSpinalImmobilization_000.pdf
New England Center for Rescue & Emergency Medicine’s Own Programs:
Board to Death: Improving Spinal Stabilization in 3 Steps!
