First algorithm for c-spine injury.

Australian Doctor,  July, 2007  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

Gabrielle Babbington

CERVICAL immobilisation at the scene for trauma patients is not always necessary, according to the first study of its kind.

UK researchers aimed to introduce an evidence-based clinical decision algorithm that would allow ambulance officers to discriminate safely between trauma patients who required cervical spine immobilisation and those who did not to avoid adverse patient and resource impacts caused by unnecessary immobilisations.

A small group of ambulance officers were trained in the algorithm and applied it on the scene for two years. During ...

Read the rest of this article with a Free Trial at HighBeam Research.