SPINAL INJURIES

2 Spine  7 Cervical  12 Thoracic  5 Lumbar  5 Sacral  4 Coccyx

3 Spinal Injuries  Always accompanied by the possibility of injury to spinal cord or spinal nerves.  The closer to the head the injury occurs, the more serious the consequences  Could result in complete or partial loss of power (paralysis) and/or sensation below the level of the injury.

4 Signs and Symptoms  Impaired breathing  Tenderness, Instability, Crepitus (TIC) along spine  Loss of movement in the arms or legs  Pain in the neck or back  Numbness or tingling in any extremity  Mechanism of injury suggests the possibility of a spinal injury

5 Complications due to Neck Injuries  Muscles controlling breathing may be paralysed could involve the rib muscles, diaphragm muscles, or both  If any breathing problems are detected give oxygen be prepared to assist ventilations  May be damage to the many structures contained in the neck area  May result in further breathing difficulties, as well as hemorrhage

6 Treatment  Prevent further injury by using C-spine control  Immobilize the patient on to a backboard, or other suitable device  Transportation the patient by EMS

7 C-Spine Control  Cervical Spine Control is performed when a patroller is unsure whether there might be cervical spine injury  Manual stabilization of the patient’s head and neck  Performed to minimize the risk of further injury  Maintained until spinal injury has been ruled out through the assessment, or the patient is immobilized on a backboard

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