Uncooperative c-spine patients?

[MrBrown]

If the patients is agitated or resistive; we generally let them adopt a POC and that will mean LESS movement than us collaring and scooping them.

 

[zappa26]

A couple of points:

1. Was there a medic at scene at the pool to clear c-spine? How do you know that the kid was "fine" without x-ray glasses?

2. Minors or people under the influence are not legally competent to refuse care. Period.

3. If someone doesn't want to be backboarded, even when you ask nicely and explain why you are doing it (and they are not competent to make care decisions on their own i.e. intox or minor) then don't be afraid to man up and call law in or use restraints. If someone is altered I often use restraints and it's my butt on the line if I didn't c-spine them when they needed it.

Sometimes you just need to assert your authority to get it done.
B)

I was waiting for that post. My manager is an EMT-I, we checked the kid over together, he had CMS in all four, PERL, etc ... I trust my boss, he's the one whose *** would be on the line. And although he might not have been legally competent to refuse care, he was physically competent to run away from me.

Thanks for all the great posts so far guys!