Cliff
where are you working in Oz???
I work in a "non Trauma centre" in Melbouren...and placing patients onto
spinal board upon arrival is certainly not our policy!! I have also recently
got the FACEM, and know the policies as well as I porpbaly ever will...and
there is no policy that I am aware of.
I suspect the spine board is a dogma from your hospital's surgical unit!!
Beth Christian
Dublin
>From: Cliff Reid <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Accident and Emergency Academic List <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: C-spine injuries (imaging)
>Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 06:53:53 +0000
>
>Vikki it's music to my ears to hear your description of the long spine
>board
>as a extrication device. I'd love to know how the radiographers are aware
>of
>this when the 'casualty' staff are not.
>I'd humbly recommend that when this sort of poppycock is spouted by junior
>medical and nursing staff you speak to someone more senior with some
>emergency medicine training. I'm sorry these situations still occur in my
>specialty, but the fact you're given conflicting stories suggests a lack of
>a clear policy or familiarity with the policies in that department which
>could perhaps be addressed by a dialogue between the radiology and A&E
>consultant(s) to avoid you and the junior A&E staff having to grapple with
>inconsistent practice.
>
>Interestingly, I was bewildered to discover that it is POLICY in the
>teaching hospital emergency department I worked in in Australia to put a
>trauma patient with potential for spinal injury ONTO a spine board on
>arrival in the ED and keep them on it "until the spine can be cleared".
>Accepting that my debating/negotiation skills are still in the training
>phase, it was nevertheless frustrating to find the ED consultants unwilling
>to discuss the disadvantages of this and potential advantages of other
>methods of spinal immobilisation. I'd be interested to hear from some of
>the
>other Australasian docs as to whether the ACEM has a policy on this and
>whether your local practice differs.
>
>With best wishes
>
>Cliff Reid
>Australia
>
>>While I'm on the issue, I thought spinal boards were an extrication
>>device-
>>they look very uncomfortable and often a patient can have spent over an
>>hour
>>on them before we've finished x-raying everything we've been asked for. I
>>asked a Casualty nurse about it, and was unhelpfully informed that the
>>patient couldn't be removed from the spinal board and clothing couldn't be
>>cut off until we'd cleared the spine. Somehow that doesn't match with my
>>experience, and I would be grateful for some clarification from the
>>'docs'.
>>As a radiographer I would ideally like to provide the best quality images
>>possible- and the information I have been given by the A and E staff I
>>work
>>with seems confusing at times and conflicting at worst!
>>TIA
>>Vikki Chase
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
|