A trauma victim may be at sufficiently low risk as to not require immobilization of the cervical spine if all of the following are present:
(1) The patient is fully alert.
(2) There is no evidence of head injury.
(3) The person is not intoxicated by alcohol or drugs.
(4) There is no neck pain.
(5) There are no neurological symptoms.
(6) There are no painful areas in the body.
(7) The patient has a full range of motion in neck without pain.
where:
• I don't think that I would try item 7 until all the preceding items had been evaluated.
These could be rewritten to say that the cervical spine should be immobilized if any of the following are present:
(1) The patient is not fully alert.
(2) There is evidence of a head injury.
(3) The person is intoxicated by alcohol or drugs.
(4) There is neck pain.
(5) There are any neurological symptoms.
(6) There are painful areas in other parts of the body.
(7) The patient has pain in the neck when maneuvering through a range of motion.
