https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2024.12745
Do not move! Spinal immobilization or spinal motor restriction: the long-lasting debate from the Napoleonic Wars to 2024 SIMEU policy statement
Published: 27 June 2024
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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The management of spinal trauma in the pre-hospital setting is based on techniques of immobilization for prevention of secondary neurological damage in high-risk patients during transportation.1 Since the ’70s, the traditional form of Preventive Spinal Immobilization (PSI) has been carried out using a long spinal board, head blocks, and immobilization straps often associated with the placement of a cervical collar.2 The first documentation of this practice comes from the early 19th century, when pre-hospital trauma care was introduced on the battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars.3 This strategy is still adopted by many pre-hospital medical services worldwide and taught as the gold standard on many trauma courses. The traditional form of PSI is indeed based more on pragmatism than on high-quality studies supporting its efficacy.3 [...]
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How to Cite
Serra, S., Poggiali, E., Rugna, M., De Iaco, F., & Ghiadoni, L. (2024). Do not move! Spinal immobilization or spinal motor restriction: the long-lasting debate from the Napoleonic Wars to 2024 SIMEU policy statement. Emergency Care Journal, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/ecj.2024.12745
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