Permanent paralysis and other serious life-threatening complications can result from moving a person with a spinal injury — even a mild one initially. Assume a spinal injury whenever a person is hit by a car or falls from a height greater than 10 feet. It’s always better to error on the side of caution.
Repeat this CPR cycle (30 compressions / 2 breaths) until resuscitated or until medical help arrives If a person has no heart beat and is not breathing they are already considered dead, so resuscitating them is a higher priority than avoiding a potentially worse spinal cord injury. Before administering CPR, call 9-1-1 or an emergency number to get medical help on the way as soon as possible.
Splinting any broken bones should only be done by trained professionals or in cases where medical help may not be available for long durations. Keep the injured person warm (with a blanket or a jacket) and hydrated to prevent or delay them going into shock.
A minimum of at least two people are needed to log roll an injured person in an emergency — one to stabilize the neck / head, and one to stabilize the lower spine / pelvis. Five or six people is the ideal number to log roll in most situations in order to stabilize the neck / head, arms, low back / pelvis and legs.
If the injured person is still conscious, keep them still and assure them they’re going to be okay to keep them calm. If you have any towels, blankets or extra clothes around, wrap them up and place them on both sides of the neck to provide support and prevent movement. [6] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source Explain to any inexperienced helpers what you’re about to do (log roll) and how to do it. These uninjured volunteer helpers may also need some calming down.
A helper who’s stabilizing the injured person cannot let go before the log roll is complete. Determine what side is best for the injured person to be rolled onto. This might be determined by the landscape of where the person has fallen or if they appear to have a broken arm of dislocated shoulder. A spinal board should be designed for carrying a person towards an ambulance. If you have to make one, make sure its flat and can support at least a few hundred pounds — thick plywood works well.
Ideally the victim’s head and neck should remain in a straight line axis with the rest of their spine and pelvis during the log roll. Research shows that it’s best to keep a person’s arms pinned against their sides (palms against their thighs) while log rolling them — it reduces spinal movement. [8] X Research source
The person at the top of the injured person should continue to hold the head and support the cervical spine until the emergency medical personnel arrive with a special immobilizing neck support / collar. The injured person can now be transported to a waiting emergency vehicle (ambulance or helicopter) or away from danger. At least two strong people are needed to lift and carry an injured person on a spinal board, although four is ideal.
The log roll obviously involves some movement to the spine, but it’s the safest way to transfer a person onto a spinal board if there is only a few people available. If there’s at least five other people around able to help you, doing a 6-person lift procedure onto a spinal board is considered a little safer than a log roll due to less impact on the spinal column. [10] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
You’ll need at least one other person to help you carry it and preferably three others. Reasons to move an injured person before paramedics arrive include: proximity to fire, exposure to cold, risk of flooding, surrounding violence and/or potential danger from animals. If you’re all alone with an injured person and absolutely need to move them, then place a sheet / tarp under them and drag it along the ground towards safety — it’s not ideal, but likely the best method.
Rolling a person onto their side allows for all liquids (blood, vomit, mucus, saliva) to safely drain from their mouth, instead of down their trachea and into their lungs. A person positioned on their side is also less likely to bite their tongue or choke on it, compared to laying on their back (supine).
