Efficacy of Cervical Immobilization in Multiple Trauma Patients

Abstract

patients who have traumatic injuries that affect at least two or more organs (or more than one system), and in which at least one of these injuries can compromise the person's life [1,2]. Traumatological user represents 12% of the world burden of disease and the first cause of death in people between the age of 1 and 44. Collisions between vehicles cause more than 1 million deaths per year and between 20 and 50 million significant injuries. Although the fight against this problem should be approached in a preventive manner, once the trauma has occurred, efforts should be directed towards avoiding preventable deaths and reducing disability [3-5]. The bony column can withstand energy forces of up to 1,360 Joules under normal conditions. Any patient traumatized with a mechanism of injury of a greater energy transfer to the mentioned can present spinal damage [5]. Spinal cord injury Epidemiologically, 55% of all spinal lesions are cervical, 15% thoracic, 15% thoracolumbar and 15% lumbosacral, the most common being C4-C5-C6, T4-T5 and T12-L1. There are two types of differentiated spinal injuries: Primary and secondary [3,6]. An excessive movement of hyperflexion, hyperextension or hyper rotation in a patient with a spinal cord injury, can cause a bone compression that causes irreparable damage and paralyzes the patient for life. Abstract Introduction: Immobilization is one of the most used procedures to prevent spinal cord injury in multiple trauma patients in prehospital setting. However, its protocolary use has historical principles rather than a scientific origin. Although this technique restricts the movement of the injured spine, there is no evidence supporting its use in all patients suffering from trauma.