Credits Hours: 1.00

Course Description:
In vehicle and industrial accidents, spinal injuries often are overshadowed by more obvious and horrific injuries such as fractures, head trauma, lacerations, and chest trauma. It is estimated that more than 11,000 new spinal cord injuries will occur this year. Of these patients, approximately 4,000 will die before admission to the hospital. This course addresses some of the inconsistencies encountered in the prehospital setting in the approach to spinal immobilization by members of the EMS community. The purpose of this course is to review pertinent anatomy and physiology of the spine, discuss mechanisms of injury, and address principles of assessment. Finally, this course examines what the research states regarding spinal immobilization and how knowledge of this research can help guide prehospital treatment and care of the patient who has sustained a potential spinal cord injury.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this activity, the participant will be able to:

• Describe the incidence and cost of spinal cord injury.
• Describe the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the spine and spinal cord injuries.
• Describe common mechanisms of injury that are most likely to cause spinal injury.
• Describe the prehospital assessment and management of the spinal-injured patient.