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Spinal Injuries
What to look for
- The cause of the accident
- Severe pain in the back or neck
- Loss of feeling or movement
- Tingling sensation in the arms or legs
- Inability to move fingers, wrists, toes or ankles
- Tenderness at the injury site
- Difficulty in breathing
What to do
Where a spinal injury is suspected and the casualty is unconscious, the casualty must still be turned on the side to maintain an open airway.
- Control bleeding.
- Immobilise the casualty and
- treat them gently and with great care
- reassure and them
- warn them against moving
- support their head with your hands so there is no movement. Stabilise with a cervical collar if there is one available or improvise using a folded towel, newspaper, clothing or sandbags
- use blankets, towels or clothing to support their shoulders and pelvis against movement
- use a soft padding between their legs and tie the legs together
- Seek medical assistance.
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