Backboard for leg amputation from wood chipper

[Household6]

Personally, Household, you wouldn't be able to keep me from at least looking at my leg to see how much was gone. I'm a weirdo though.

Ditto. I'd be such a horrible patient if I was conscious. Probably trying to start my own IOs, trying to give my own radio reports..

 

[Drax]

A close friend and coworker told me about this call the other day, I'll describe it as best I can.
40 yo male got his right leg caught in a wood chipper, fully amputated just distal to the knee. Upon arrival BLS FD had extricated from wood chipper, applied TK, controlled bleeding, and had pt supine on ground. AOx4, BP 110/60, HR 100, RR 22, SPO2 98%, skin warm dry pale. No other injuries, no neck/back pain, no KO, GCSx15 and purposeful movement of hands. Placed position of comfort on gurney and rapid transport to trauma center about 40 minutes away w/o change enroute.
Would you have boarded this patient?
How could one assess CMS of an amputated extremity?

Oh and by the way, patient had a T10 spinal fracture and paralysis of the remaining leg.

Well, I am assuming this was fall, because this would be a poor attempt at suicide and unusual to kind of bump into and lose your leg over.

I would conduct a good scene size up, perform a rapid trauma assessment, and backboard because I don't know if he was thrashed about, whether or not he fell, or whatever exactly happened. I would backboard and stabilize c-spine on the precautionary side.

 

[Handsome Robb]

I have a question about distracting injuries and your definitions of them.

Personally I don't care if your leg is missing, if you're engaging me in a conversation and able to follow my assessment and focus on my assessment it is not a distracting injury in my mind.

If all they do is scream about their leg...that's distracting.

 

[Bryek]

I had this scenario for my Licensing. According to them, Yes, you do spineboard them as the jerking of the woodchipper (my case, a haybailer) can cause spinal injuries.

Also its easier to pick up a legless guy on a board than not....