C spine, backboard, and stabbing

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hellofirstresponders

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Okay need to clarify and confirm my friends. I got my money on this. There's. Pt with a knife to the smack center of their lumbar. The knife on the back is waving to you hello. What you going to do. C spine, backboard, or what
 
If there is no evidence or high reasion to be suspicious of a c-spine injury no need for a collar ... put the patient prone on a scoop and make tracks; simple or so I think
 
Ditto... prone, lateral. What else would you do, lay them supine? .... Apperantly if one places a cervical collar on, then one needs an anatomy lesson and has failed to understand what a cervical collar is for.

R/r 911
 
I think the question was supposed to involve a suspicion of spinal damage due to the placement of the knife.
 
I would stabilize the impaled object and consider placing the pt. prone or lateral on a backboard. Here's why: with the impaled object in or near his spine I would probably want to prevent patient movement in general. When patient strapped to a backboard it may be easier to transfer him from stretcher to hospital bed without aggravating his injuries, as opposed to using sheets, slide board, etc.
If the knife was not impaled, that's a different story.
 
I'm with Fox...

surname_levi said:
take out the knife, cover wound with duct tape, treat for shock...duh ^_^
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Waste of duct tape... just stick your gum in there.
 
not just spinal inj but also internal. how far did that knife go in? is he already circling the drain? put him on his left side on a backboard. stabilize the knife with bulky dressings. put a pillow under his head so his body is in alignment. put pillows behind him and tell him nighty night. if he fell a great distance you may consider the collar but if he is knifed in the spine he is already compromised. you can watch the front for interenal injuries and do you vitals/ iv easy. say your prayers and beat feet to the er
 
Ridryder911 said:
Ditto... prone, lateral. What else would you do, lay them supine? .... Apperantly if one places a cervical collar on, then one needs an anatomy lesson and has failed to understand what a cervical collar is for.

R/r 911
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Yeah, Rid. Lateral's my first choice, but would quickly go prone if lateral didn't show signs of working. Depending on how much weight the knife had, prone just might be preferred.
 
Seems like prone would give better stability but I'd be somewhat concerned about managing the airway. I don't find it all that easy to breathe lying on my stomach WITHOUT a knife in me. If you need to get in there you're just going to have to turn them sideways anyway.
 
Call base. Get md permission. Abc... Take care of the first two. Likely get permission to pull the knife. Which is c. Never compromise airway and breathing.
 
hyrisk said:
Call base. Get md permission. Abc... Take care of the first two. Likely get permission to pull the knife. Which is c. Never compromise airway and breathing.
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Do you consider transporting the patient prone unacceptable?
 
hyrisk said:
pull the knife. Which is c.
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Say wha......!!!!!!!!!!


Chances are if the knife is still there when you arrive its in fairly good. When in the be£"$%^Y& would you take it out.....
 
We can never, ever put someone in a prone position. Heck, doesn't even matter if they need to be restrained in a prone position. :glare: We have to even put them supine and restrain them.
 
hyrisk said:
We can never, ever put someone in a prone position. Heck, doesn't even matter if they need to be restrained in a prone position. :glare: We have to even put them supine and restrain them.
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So transport them laterally. I bet you would NOT get permission to pull that knife
 
hyrisk said:
Call base. Get md permission. Abc... Take care of the first two. Likely get permission to pull the knife. Which is c. Never compromise airway and breathing.
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Yeah your C will go to poo as soon as you pull that knife out.
 
hyrisk said:
We can never, ever put someone in a prone position. Heck, doesn't even matter if they need to be restrained in a prone position. :glare: We have to even put them supine and restrain them.
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You have to transport people supine all the time? That is awful.
 
hyrisk said:
We can never, ever put someone in a prone position. Heck, doesn't even matter if they need to be restrained in a prone position. :glare: We have to even put them supine and restrain them.
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Err, I'm pretty sure that if you say something along the lines of "Well, there's a knife sticking out of their back," I doubt that anyone is going to question it. Additionally, you should never restrain someone prone, but restraining combative patients and just restraining someone for transport is two separate things.
 
hyrisk said:
Call base. Get md permission. Abc... Take care of the first two. Likely get permission to pull the knife. Which is c. Never compromise airway and breathing.
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I call B.S. on that! Go ask your physician if you they rather you remove an impaled object possibly in the spinal canal or transport prone or lateral? Watch the response, that one would even ask or suggest such..


C'mon .. let's use some basic common sense here. If one has even a half a brain, one can monitor an airway, breathing in a prone and or lateral position. I guess you never heard of "recovery position" as well?

Time to go back to EMT school.

R/r 911
 
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