People at risk of cervical cord injury are often not immobilised

Failure to immobilise patients at risk of cervical cord injury is common and this may have devastating consequences as 75% of injuries to the spinal cord are incomplete at presentation. In addition to not initiating immobilisation, problems arise from giving the all clear after inadequate evaluation. Skellett and colleagues (p 591) report on 60 children at risk of cervical cord injury, 14 (23%) of whom had not been immobilised before reaching the hospital. The authors recommend educating healthcare professionals about the importance of immobilisation and having ready access to immobilising devices that are appropriate for different ages.

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Relevant Article

Lesson of the week: Immobilisation of the cervical spine in children

Sophie Skellett, Shane M Tibby, Andrew Durward, and Ian A Murdoch
BMJ 2002 324: 591-593. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]