Explore groundbreaking updates on spinal injury management in wilderness settings. The discussion emphasizes a goal-oriented approach for protecting spinal cords while maintaining neutral alignment. Discover the innovative lift and slide technique and learn about the vacuum mattress—an effective alternative to traditional backboards. Plus, dive into the open-access Wilderness Medical Society guidelines that are revolutionizing how we think about spinal immobilization!
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Quick takeaways
The updated spinal immobilization guidelines stress a goal-oriented approach to spinal cord protection instead of strict immobilization methods.
Vacuum mattresses are recommended as superior alternatives to rigid backboards, offering better comfort and reduced risks during patient transport.
Deep dives
Shift to Goal-Oriented Spinal Care
The updated guidelines for spinal cord protection in wilderness medicine advocate for a goal-oriented approach rather than strict immobilization. This fundamental shift allows for a focus on protecting the spinal cord while enhancing both patient and provider safety. Traditional methods such as rigid collars and hard backboards, which have shown no clear benefit and potential harm, are being replaced. The emphasis is now on spinal motion restriction to reduce unnecessary movement, recognizing that absolute immobilization is often impractical in remote settings.
Self-Extrication and Modern Techniques
Allowing patients to self-extricate while wearing cervical collars has been found to result in less spinal motion compared to traditional extraction methods performed by rescuers. This technique empowers patients and minimizes the risk of exacerbating their injuries, especially in challenging environments. New recommendations suggest using a trap squeeze technique for head control, which is more effective in reducing cervical motion than older methods. Additionally, proper methods for moving patients involve lifting them onto a support device while maintaining a neutral spine, replacing the conventional log roll technique.
Advancements in Equipment for Spinal Immobilization
The adoption of vacuum mattresses is gaining popularity as a superior alternative to rigid backboards for spinal motion restriction. Vacuum mattresses offer enhanced patient comfort and improved spinal stability, significantly reducing risks like pressure sores that are common with conventional methods. Although these mattresses may be bulkier and more expensive, their benefits in immobilizing patients with both spinal and orthopedic injuries make them an ideal choice. The cumulative evidence supports the use of vacuum mattresses as a standard practice in wilderness medicine, moving away from outdated spinal care strategies.
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Revolutionizing Spinal Injury Management in Wilderness Medicine
Today, we discuss updates in the WMS guidelines regarding the protection of patients with suspected spinal injuries.
The Wilderness Medicine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines are all open-access, and you can find links to all of these guidelines on the right sidebar of this page.