The characteristics and pre‑hospital management of blunt trauma patients with suspected spinal column injuries: a retrospective observational study

This study looks at how emergency medical services (EMS) handle patients with potential spinal column injuries before they reach the hospital. It examines the characteristics of these patients, how EMS staff decide on and apply spinal immobilization techniques, and whether there are any negative effects from the immobilization process. The research involved analyzing data from blunt trauma patients with suspected spinal column injuries, focusing on patient characteristics, reasons for immobilization, immobilization methods, and any reported adverse effects during pre-hospital care. The study found that while spinal immobilization was generally applied based on valid criteria, there was a lack of consistency in how EMS staff interpreted 'distracting injuries.' Additionally, the reporting of adverse effects related to spinal immobilization was often incomplete in pre-hospital care reports.

• 1
  Spinal immobilisation was applied in 96.3 % of all included patients based on pre-hospital criteria.
• 2
  Main reasons for spinal immobilisation were posterior midline spinal tenderness (37.2  % of patients) and painful distracting injuries (13.5  % of patients).
• 3
  Reported adverse effects included pain (n  =  10, 0.9  %,); shortness of breath (n = 3, 0.3 %); combativeness or anxiety (n = 6, 0.6  %); and worsening of pain when supine (n  =  1, 0.1 %).