How to Treat a Spinal Injury Victim
Treat anyone with a head injury as if they have a spinal injury., Do NOT move the victim., Call for emergency services., Give CPR if necessary., Note the cause of the injury., Recognize symptoms of spinal injury., Stabilize the victim until help...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Treat anyone with a head injury as if they have a spinal injury.
The best rule about assessing whether a victim has a spinal injury is to assume that they do.
This is because the consequences of spinal injury are severe and usually permanent, and mistreating someone with a spinal injury – even if you have the best intentions – can seriously worsen the injury and outcome.
Any victim with an injury to their head, neck or back should automatically be treated as if they have a spinal injury.Recognize that head wounds can come from many types of injuries, and you will not always see blood or an open wound when someone has hit their head.
Diving into shallow water, for instance, may be an unsuspected source of spinal injury. -
Step 2: Do NOT move the victim.
Any movement of the injured person can cause worse damage to their spinal cord.
The only time you should ever move a potential spinal injury victim is if they are in immediate danger, such as in a burning house or car.If you are both in a safe environment, leave them exactly where they are and allow medical professionals to move them.
If the victim was wearing a helmet at the time of injury, such as during sports or in a motorcycle accident, do not remove the helmet.
This should be done by professionals., Medical professionals will be better able to assess and manage potential spinal injuries, and will have backboards and special equipment for moving people with these injuries.
Contacting emergency medical personnel should be done immediately, assuming you and the victim are in no immediate danger.
When calling for medical aid, inform staff that you are dealing with a victim of a spinal injury.
They will be able to give you more advice on how to take care of the victim. , Observe whether the victim is breathing on their own, as spinal injury can sometimes affect ability to breathe spontaneously.
Look to see if their chest is rising with breath, or feel under their nose for air.
The only time you should move the victim’s head – short of being in immediate peril – is if you have to provide the rescue breathing or chest compressions of CPR.
This can be a life-saving measure until emergency medical care arrives.
If the victim’s heart is beating but they are not breathing, provide rescue breaths; if they have no pulse, focus on high-quality chest compressions.
To give rescue breaths, do NOT lift the victim’s chin to open an airway if you can avoid it.
Instead perform what is called the Jaw Thrust maneuver:
Kneel at the top of the victim’s head, use both hands one on each side to hold the angles of their lower jaw, and lift upward with both hands.This technique may be slightly safer for spinal injury victims.
Unfortunately, this requires a second person present to perform the rescue breathing while you hold the jaw upward.
If they do not need CPR, you can then – without moving the victim – look them over to see if they have any other obvious severe injuries.
Apply pressure to wounds that are heavily bleeding., The most common cause of spinal injury in persons under age 65 is vehicular accidents.
Other common causes are falls, gunshot and knife wounds, playing sports without appropriate safety equipment (especially American football), and injury sustained while under the influence of alcohol.Be on high alert for potential spinal damage with any of these injuries, and treat the victim accordingly.
It may also help medical staff if you can tell them what caused the injury. , If no healthcare professional is on site, you can evaluate the victim for signs and symptoms of spinal injury.
First observe the victim – if they are unconscious or only somewhat conscious, their neck or back is at a strange angle, or they have lost control of their bladder or bowels and soiled themselves, assume spinal injury.
Also treat them as if they have spinal injury if they won’t or can’t move their neck, seem to have trouble breathing, or they tell you they have intense pain in their neck, back or head.
Another tell-tale sign of spinal injury is change in strength or sensation in their limbs.Spinal injury can cause weakness in any part of the body, as well as paralysis – the inability to move at all, or move part of the body.
Depending on the location of the injury, the patient will be affected in all four limbs, only on one side of the body, or in some or only one limb.Limbs can experience a number of sensation including numbness, tingling, pain, or a strong stinging.Loss of sensation can involve inability to distinguish temperature or feel touch. , Keep the victim totally still until professional help arrives.
Hold their head and neck to prevent them from moving until emergency care arrives.Attempt to calm the victim by assuring them that help is on the way, and encourage them in a calming voice to stay completely still.
Tell them gently but firmly, “You may be badly injured.
I’m here and professional help is on the way, but I need you to stay nice and still right now.” -
Step 3: Call for emergency services.
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Step 4: Give CPR if necessary.
-
Step 5: Note the cause of the injury.
-
Step 6: Recognize symptoms of spinal injury.
-
Step 7: Stabilize the victim until help arrives.
Detailed Guide
The best rule about assessing whether a victim has a spinal injury is to assume that they do.
This is because the consequences of spinal injury are severe and usually permanent, and mistreating someone with a spinal injury – even if you have the best intentions – can seriously worsen the injury and outcome.
Any victim with an injury to their head, neck or back should automatically be treated as if they have a spinal injury.Recognize that head wounds can come from many types of injuries, and you will not always see blood or an open wound when someone has hit their head.
Diving into shallow water, for instance, may be an unsuspected source of spinal injury.
Any movement of the injured person can cause worse damage to their spinal cord.
The only time you should ever move a potential spinal injury victim is if they are in immediate danger, such as in a burning house or car.If you are both in a safe environment, leave them exactly where they are and allow medical professionals to move them.
If the victim was wearing a helmet at the time of injury, such as during sports or in a motorcycle accident, do not remove the helmet.
This should be done by professionals., Medical professionals will be better able to assess and manage potential spinal injuries, and will have backboards and special equipment for moving people with these injuries.
Contacting emergency medical personnel should be done immediately, assuming you and the victim are in no immediate danger.
When calling for medical aid, inform staff that you are dealing with a victim of a spinal injury.
They will be able to give you more advice on how to take care of the victim. , Observe whether the victim is breathing on their own, as spinal injury can sometimes affect ability to breathe spontaneously.
Look to see if their chest is rising with breath, or feel under their nose for air.
The only time you should move the victim’s head – short of being in immediate peril – is if you have to provide the rescue breathing or chest compressions of CPR.
This can be a life-saving measure until emergency medical care arrives.
If the victim’s heart is beating but they are not breathing, provide rescue breaths; if they have no pulse, focus on high-quality chest compressions.
To give rescue breaths, do NOT lift the victim’s chin to open an airway if you can avoid it.
Instead perform what is called the Jaw Thrust maneuver:
Kneel at the top of the victim’s head, use both hands one on each side to hold the angles of their lower jaw, and lift upward with both hands.This technique may be slightly safer for spinal injury victims.
Unfortunately, this requires a second person present to perform the rescue breathing while you hold the jaw upward.
If they do not need CPR, you can then – without moving the victim – look them over to see if they have any other obvious severe injuries.
Apply pressure to wounds that are heavily bleeding., The most common cause of spinal injury in persons under age 65 is vehicular accidents.
Other common causes are falls, gunshot and knife wounds, playing sports without appropriate safety equipment (especially American football), and injury sustained while under the influence of alcohol.Be on high alert for potential spinal damage with any of these injuries, and treat the victim accordingly.
It may also help medical staff if you can tell them what caused the injury. , If no healthcare professional is on site, you can evaluate the victim for signs and symptoms of spinal injury.
First observe the victim – if they are unconscious or only somewhat conscious, their neck or back is at a strange angle, or they have lost control of their bladder or bowels and soiled themselves, assume spinal injury.
Also treat them as if they have spinal injury if they won’t or can’t move their neck, seem to have trouble breathing, or they tell you they have intense pain in their neck, back or head.
Another tell-tale sign of spinal injury is change in strength or sensation in their limbs.Spinal injury can cause weakness in any part of the body, as well as paralysis – the inability to move at all, or move part of the body.
Depending on the location of the injury, the patient will be affected in all four limbs, only on one side of the body, or in some or only one limb.Limbs can experience a number of sensation including numbness, tingling, pain, or a strong stinging.Loss of sensation can involve inability to distinguish temperature or feel touch. , Keep the victim totally still until professional help arrives.
Hold their head and neck to prevent them from moving until emergency care arrives.Attempt to calm the victim by assuring them that help is on the way, and encourage them in a calming voice to stay completely still.
Tell them gently but firmly, “You may be badly injured.
I’m here and professional help is on the way, but I need you to stay nice and still right now.”
About the Author
Sharon Taylor
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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