When attending to a patient with a suspected spine injury, restrict movement as much as possible. Any movement around the injured spine can trigger secondary life-threatening injuries. Thus, moving an injured patient on a spine board requires significant expertise. We shall discuss how you can do it with minimal risk.
To use a spine board, first, place the patient on the board while minimizing any movement around the spine area.
Next, secure the patient using cervical collars, head immobilizers, and straps to keep them as still as possible as you move them to the hospital emergency unit.
Now, let’s look at how you can use a spine board in more detail.
1 – Preparing The Patient
Preparing the patient ensures that the spinal area remains still while transferring them to the spine board and hospital.
It also involves examining vital life signs, especially for unconscious patients.
As a paramedic, be careful when moving a spinal injury patient because any wrong move can spell disaster.
The sensitive nature of the spinal cord nerves means that even the slightest damage can result in the patient being paralyzed for the rest of their life.
Preparation involves the following:
- Inspecting the patient
- Ensuring you have additional support items
- Ensuring you have enough personnel
Inspect The Patient
Although lifting or rolling the patient mainly involves holding the head, neck, and upper body, inspection determines the best way to hold the patient. The goal here is to make sure the spine, neck, and head remain as still as possible.
Ensure You Have Additional Support Items
Ensure you have additional support materials such as a cervical collar and a head immobilizer. The spine board is flat-shaped, and these tools help you immobilize the patient by maintaining the neck and head positions.
Ensure You Have Enough Personnel
Ensuring you have sufficient personnel to effectively transfer the patient from the ground to the stretcher is paramount. Since you will have to lift or roll the patient, you need to be at least four able-bodied individuals to avoid strains while moving the patient.
Note: If the patient is bariatric, you will need able-bodied individuals for the hospital transfer process.
2 – Transferring The Patient To The Spine Board
The four of you have to be in position before moving the patient onto the spine board. As the group leader, take a position near the patient’s head while the other two remain on one side of the patient. The fourth personnel will be positioned opposite the two.
The following steps will enable you to transfer the patient safely:
Step 1: Grasp The Patient’s Head
Grasp the patient’s head and shoulders while ensuring that the head and spine are aligned.
Step 2: Place Cervical Collars
Have your two assistants place the cervical collar on the patient’s neck as shown below:
Alt: paramedics placing a cervical collar on an injured patient
The collar helps to keep the head and spine aligned. Ensure your assistants don’t lift the patient’s head as they apply the collar.
Step 3: Roll Your Patient Onto The Spine Board
The rolling motion is preferable to lifting the patient because it gives you better control of the neck and head area.
During the rolling process, your assistants should hold the opposite side of the patient. In addition, they should hold the knee, hip, and shoulder areas to make it easy to roll the patient’s entire body.
Step 4: Maintain The Correct Spinal Alignment
Since you are holding the patient’s head, your primary role is to maintain the correct spinal alignment throughout the rolling process. Hold the patient as illustrated in the image shown below:
Alt: Illustrating how to hold a patient to ensure the correct spinal alignment
Once your assistants are ready to move the patient, coordinate the movement at the count of three.
Step 5: Place The Spine Board In Position
Once you position the patient on their side, let your third assistant examine the patient’s back and place the spine board in position so you can roll the patient back onto it.
Step 6: Place The Patient At The Center Of The Spine Board
Maintain the correct cervical alignment while positioning the patient at the spine board’s center. A centered position will ensure that the patient’s weight is uniformly distributed, making it easier to carry them to the ambulance.
Step 7: Secure The Patient
Begin by securing the patient’s upper torso area using straps. Also place head immobilization devices to secure the patient’s head from side-to-side or up-to-down movements.
A commercial immobilization foam or a rolled towel can be an immobilizing tool. Next, secure the patient’s pelvis, chest, and legs using straps.
The illustration below shows a well-secured patient:
Alt: illustration of how to secure an injured patient correctly
Step 8: Assess The Patient’s Extremities
Assess the patient’s extremities, including motor functioning, circulation, and sensation. Checking these signs is essential because this is the information you will communicate to the doctors as you transfer the patient to a hospital.
Once the patient is well secured, you can lift the spine board and place it on an ambulance stretcher to facilitate easy movement. The ambulance stretcher has wheels that allow you to push the patient instead of lifting them.
Conclusion
In conclusion, using a spine board requires preparation and coordination. Since spine injuries are sensitive, be careful not to move the injured areas. You have to be at least four people, so you don’t strain to move the patient and risk injuries.
The process of placing the patient on the board begins with you rolling the patient sideways while maintaining spinal alignment and then rolling the patient back onto the board. Once you position the patient at the center of the board, secure them to the board before lifting them and transporting them to the hospital.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many paramedics are needed to use a spine board?
You need to be at least four people to use the spine board to assist a patient with a spinal injury. One person will solely handle the head and neck area, two will be positioned at the sides of the patient, while the other will stand opposite the first two. The two will help roll the patient while the other will position the spine board to roll back onto it.
How do you place a patient on a spine board?
Before placing the patient on the spine board, roll them sideways, place the spine board in position, then roll them back on top of the board.
Is a spine board only for patients with spinal injuries?
No. You can also use it to secure patients with hip, leg, and arm fractures.
