Use this quick-reference guide to recognise, treat and hand over Spinal Injury & Motion Restriction on the NREMT and on the call. Keep it handy during review and on exam day!
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📒 The 1-minute cheat sheet
📌 Who
Altered or intoxicated
Midline pain or tenderness
Deficit · distracting injury
✅ How
Manual first, then collar
PMS before and after
Board = extrication only
🩺 Watch
Airway beats the collar
Low BP + slow pulse → neurogenic
📚 Spinal Injury & Motion Restriction — full study notes
The cheat sheet above is your quick recall card. These notes go deeper — what it is, what to do first, what changes the plan, and what to hand over.
Spinal care has moved from routine backboarding to selective spinal motion restriction. The exam asks who needs it, how to keep the spine aligned and why neurologic checks come before and after.
Manual stabilization first, then a sized cervical collar and a firm surface or scoop.
Check pulse, motor and sensation in all four extremities before and after immobilizing.
Long backboards are for extrication, not for lying on during transport.
Penetrating trauma without a neurologic deficit does not need spinal motion restriction.
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Treatment priorities
What to do, in order
Airway beats the collar: use a jaw thrust and reposition if the airway is compromised.
Keep the head, neck and torso in line during every move.
Pad elderly and small patients to keep neutral alignment.
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Red flags — report now
Escalate immediately
Low blood pressure with a slow pulse and warm skin (neurogenic shock)
New numbness or weakness
Loss of bowel or bladder control
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Patient teaching
What patients must know
Remove a helmet only when it blocks airway care or does not fit snugly.
❓ Spinal Injury & Motion Restriction: NREMT FAQs
What are the priority actions for Spinal Injury & Motion Restriction in the field?
Airway beats the collar: use a jaw thrust and reposition if the airway is compromised. Keep the head, neck and torso in line during every move. Pad elderly and small patients to keep neutral alignment.
What findings in Spinal Injury & Motion Restriction change your plan or your transport decision?
Low blood pressure with a slow pulse and warm skin (neurogenic shock). New numbness or weakness. Loss of bowel or bladder control.
What do I need to know about Spinal Injury & Motion Restriction for the NREMT?
Indications: altered, intoxicated, midline spinal pain or tenderness, focal deficit, distracting injury. Manual stabilization first, then a sized cervical collar and a firm surface or scoop. Check pulse, motor and sensation in all four extremities before and after immobilizing. Long backboards are for extrication, not for lying on during transport.
What should the crew communicate or document for Spinal Injury & Motion Restriction?
Remove a helmet only when it blocks airway care or does not fit snugly.