1. Basic Equipment for a Back Injury
The best equipment to use when you need to move a person with a severe back injury and possible spinal cord damage includes a cervical collar, head supports, a backboard, straps and tape used for immobilization of the patient. Keeping a patient as still as possible during transport can lower the risk of causing more damage to the spine. You should assume a severe injury anytime you find someone who may be a victim of significant trauma. These situations include all traumatic situations involving a victim impaired by the use of drugs or alcohol, all vehicular collisions at medium to high speed, any traumatic situation that also results in other injuries such as broken arms or legs and any fall that occurs from higher than ground level. Any victim in these situations should lie flat on the backboard with the cervical collar placed around the neck. Straps wrap around the arms and chest, attaching them securely to the backboard, as well as around the hips and lower legs. The head supports align with either side of the head, and tape can keep the head immobilized like the straps do for the rest of the body. That way, if the patient vomits, the entire board can rotate to offer relief while keeping the patient flat and preventing any movement of the spine.
2. Makeshift Spine Immobilization
When you have to improvise with the equipment to transport someone with a severe back injury, keep in mind that the most important factor is complete immobilization of the patient in order to prevent further damage. You can stabilize the head with rolled up blankets, articles of clothing or towels. Place these on either side of the head to prevent the head from rotating or moving sideways during transport. If you need to rotate a person with a back injury to facilitate vomiting, use two people and keep the back aligned as much as possible.
3. Transport the Smallest Trauma Victims
Keeping a child strapped inside a car seat is the best way to transport him from the scene of a vehicular accident. You can roll towels or blankets and place them along either side of the child's head as he sits in his car seat to prevent movement of the head, which can lead to further spinal injury. Young children not using a car seat should lie flat against a board for transport. Since their heads tend to be disproportionately larger, you may need to place some padding behind the torso in order to keep the spine as straight as possible.
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