would you backboard a patient punched in the head?

chri1017

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Say you had a pt who was punched in the head. The patient has some swelling and a minor contusion. Pt denies any loc, nausea, dizziness and neck/ back pain. Who would board?
 

Medic Tim

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Say you had a pt who was punched in the head. The patient has some swelling and a minor contusion. Pt denies any loc, nausea, dizziness and neck/ back pain. Who would board?

not I
 
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DesertMedic66

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Negative
 

fast65

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No sir (or ma'am)
 

STXmedic

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Not even a second thought.
 

Tigger

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Would not even cross my mind.
 

JPINFV

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To break consensus, I would... if he was hit by Chuck Norris.


Wait... I'm sorry, that would result in injuries incompatible with life so... no.
 

TransportJockey

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Nope, wouldn't even think about it
 

MSDeltaFlt

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Say you had a pt who was punched in the head. The patient has some swelling and a minor contusion. Pt denies any loc, nausea, dizziness and neck/ back pain. Who would board?

No. Why would you want to?
 

mycrofft

Still crazy but elsewhere
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My reply failed to post.

Work up for cranial injury, r/o cervical complaints, tx per protocol prn.
Does cervical restriction or immobilization help closed head injuries?
Know how to look for early signs of an injured TM joint, basal skull fx, other s/s of TBI.

NOTE: edited five days after posted.
 
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VFlutter

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No, unless he was punched by Chuck Norris.
 

Bullets

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No

And to add, why would you?
 

EpiEMS

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Say you had a pt who was punched in the head. The patient has some swelling and a minor contusion. Pt denies any loc, nausea, dizziness and neck/ back pain. Who would board?

No way would I board. If they fell, it'd be a consideration, if there were, say, LOC or if the injury was reported as being particularly painful. I'd document the pertinent negatives that you mentioned, as well as whether the patient was ambulatory on scene, whether the patient was on anticoagulants and/or platelet aggregation inhibitors, assess neurological function, etc.

But given the scenario you presented, it'd be a mistake to board the patient.
 

medichopeful

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I would definitely board a patient who had taken a punch to the head. I'd also give them 15lpm via NRB and give them lights and sirens to the hospital. It doesn't matter how serious the injury was: they need all 3!

;)
 

TransportJockey

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I would definitely board a patient who had taken a punch to the head. I'd also give them 15lpm via NRB and give them lights and sirens to the hospital. It doesn't matter how serious the injury was: they need all 3!

;)

Don't forget the IV for all of them!
 

Epi-do

I see dead people
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And to check their BGL :D

Naturally! You just never know when hypoglycemia is going to cause someone to fall into another person's fist. We might as well get a 12-lead too! (You know, for when the BGL is normal.)
 
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