Ch. 14: Spine Boarding

Question 1

How do you perform a primary survey?

Answer 1

1. LOC: AVPU
2. Airway: remove face mask and access
3. Sx3
4. Head and ears: look for blood and CSF

Question 2

Perform secondary survey:

Answer 2

Head to toe exam

Question 3

Signs of a spine injury (9):

Answer 3

1. Neck or back pain
2. Radiating pain into extremities
3. Paresthesia
4. Muscle weakness/spasms
5. Loss of coordination
6. Paralysis
7. Loss of bowel or bladder
8. Difficulty breathing
9. Deformities

Question 4

How do you assess a spinal (5)?

Answer 4

1. Position: prone, supline, side-lying
2. Posturing: indicates brain damage
3. Movement: spontaneous vs. controlled movement
4. Palpate: looking for pain in neck or vertebral column
5. Identify loss of sensations

Question 5

Decorticate posturing:

Answer 5

Flexed in

Question 6

Decerebrate posturing:

Answer 6

Flexed out

Question 7

Do not collar patients with what kind of injury?

Answer 7

Penetrating

Question 8

By compressing the jugular vein, collars increase:

Answer 8

intracranial pressure

Question 9

How do you pass the Canadian C-Spine rule?

Answer 9

Spinal is ruled out if patient:

1. Has no high risk factors
2. Displays low risk factors
3. Can rotate their head and neck comfortably

Question 10

High risk factors:

Answer 10

1. Greater than 65 Y/O
2. Dangerous mechanisms
3. Parethesias in extremities

Question 11

Positive indications (low risk factors):

Answer 11

1. Patient is ambulatory
2. Simple Rear-end MOI
3. Delayed neck pain
4. No midline C-Spine tenderness

Question 12

What’s the first thing you do to treat a suspected spinal?

Answer 12

Manual inline stabilization

Question 13

What are some external devices to use for manual spine stabilization?

Answer 13

1. Collars
2. Towels
3. Tape to backboard
4. Foam blocks

Question 14

What are the 3 positions to evaluate a patient before allowing them to walk off the scene?

Answer 14

1. Lying
2. Sitting
3. Standing

Question 15

Signs that patient is ambulatory:

Answer 15

1. Normal motor functions
2. Normal sensory functions
3. No pain in spine area

Question 16

Reasons to prevent realignment? (7)

Answer 16

1. Physically difficult
2. Patient insists
3. pain caused by movement
4. Neurological symptoms increase
5. Muscle spasms
6. Compromised airway
7. Resistance in motion

Question 17

Key things to remember when log rolling:

Answer 17

1. Minimum of 4 people
2. Head, chest, hips, legs
3. Realign before and after
4. Align and immobilize C-Spine

Question 18

How do you perform 6 person lift?

Answer 18

Head, 2 people at shoulders, 2 people at hips, 2 people at legs

Slide spine board under patient at feet

Question 19

When strapping patient to a spine board, when do you strap the head?

Answer 19

Last

Question 20

Name two types of straps for spine board:

Answer 20

Spider and Seat belt

Question 21

3 types of drag techniques:

Answer 21

1. Clothes
2. Foot
3. Blanket

Question 22

When do you use emergency moves?

Answer 22

When environment poses an immediate threat

Question 23

3 types of equipment for urgent moves:

Answer 23

1. Rapid spine board
2. Stretcher
3. Rescue Chair

Question 24

When do you use urgent moves?

Answer 24

1. Patient is in critical condition
2. Severe internal bleeding
3. Needs surgical intervention

Question 25

Reasons to stop cervical realignment?

Answer 25

1. Resistance
2. Patient is not comfortable
3. Physically difficult
4. Moving obstructs airway
5. Muscle spasms
6. Increase in neurological symptoms

Question 26

If the patient is supine, when do you apply the cervical collar? Prone?

Answer 26

Supine: before movement
Prone: after movement

Question 27

Why wouldn’t you apply a cervical collar?

Answer 27

1. Patient passes Canadian C spine rule

2. X-Ray is not needed

Question 28

When traveling on level ground with a spine boarded patient, which part of the body should be on the front side of the movement?

Answer 28

Feet first

Question 29

Guidelines for lifting and carrying:

Answer 29

1. Coordinated
2. Face the person across from you
3. Keep the patient’s weight close to you
4. Keep the board level
5. Know your limits
6. Use squat motion