Basic First Aid for the Community and Workplace

Injuries to the Spine First Aid • Assess, Alert, and Attend the ABCs. • Tell responsive victim not to move. • Place your hands on both sides of the victim’s head to stabilize it. • Keep the head, neck, and spine in line. • Comfort, calm, and reassure. • Do not ask the injured victim to move in order to try to find a pain response. • Do not move the injured victim to test for a pain response. • Do not move the injured victim to perform a physical assessment. • Do not bend, twist, or lift injured victim’s head or body. • Do not move the injured victim before medical help arrives unless their life is in danger. • Do not remove a helmet if a spinal injury is suspected. If an unresponsive victim with a possible spinal injury is lying flat on his back but has debris, blood, or secretions in the mouth, or you must leave him to get help, use the HAINES position to protect the victim’s airway. This training guide is provided online for individual use only. Reprinting for classroom distribution is prohibited. Accident scene. Injuries to the spine can cause damage to the bones of the spine, the spinal cord, or to the tissues and blood vessels surrounding the spinal cord. Spinal cord injury can cause temporary or permanent paralysis. The most important consideration in suspecting a spinal injury is determining the mechanism, or how the injury occurred, such as diving headfirst into shallow water. Suspect a spinal injury has occurred when the victim has been exposed to significant physical force such as in a motor vehicle or bicycle crash; or a fall from greater than standing height. The primary goal of first aid for a suspected spinal injury is to keep the victim still in order to prevent further injury. It is best not to move the victim at all before medical help arrives unless his life is in danger. When Caring for Children Spinal injury in children is rare, but the risk is greatest when the child has multiple injuries or chest injuries.40 Distress and discomfort may make it difficult to restrict spinal motion in a child. The first aid provider should do his or her best to hold the child’s head in the position in which it was found. When Caring for Older Persons Loss of normal bone density, mass, and strength make older people more likely to fracture bones, including spinal bones. Older persons who have other medical problems that make them prone to falling (for example, stroke) may also be more vulnerable to spinal injury. The first aid provider should do his or her best to manually restrict the victim’s head in the position in which it was found. Injuries to the Spine Signs and Symptoms • Altered mental status. • Obvious injury to the neck, head, or back. • Numbness, tingling, burning, or loss of sensation in the hands, fingers, feet, or toes. • Spinal pain, pressure, or tenderness. • Multiple injuries, including open or closed fractures. • Weakness or paralysis in any part of the body. • Loss of bladder or bowel control. • Bullet or stab wound to the head, neck, or back. Pain and loss of function usually accompany a spinal injury, but the absence of pain does not mean that the victim has not been significantly injured. If you suspect a victim could possibly have a spinal injury, assume they do! 28 Basic First Aid for the Community and Workplace Bone, Joint, and Muscle Injuries

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Basic First Aid for the Community and Workplace

Basic First Aid for the Community and Workplace Contents Basic First Aid Emergency Action Steps Severe Bleeding and Shock Major Wounds Minor Wounds Burns Bites and Stings Dental Injuries Eye and Nose Injuries Injuries to Limbs Injuries to the Spine Head Injury Sudden Illness Specific Conditions Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke Endnotes About This Program

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