The Use of Clinical Cervical Spine Clearance in Trauma Patients: A Literature Review

The literature suggests that alert trauma patients can be cleared from cervical spine immobilization safely through a structured algorithm in either the prehospital or ED setting. The evidence is primarily observational. Thus, many providers who fear missing cervical injuries may be reluctant to follow the recommendations despite few or no published cases of sudden deterioration from missed cervical spine injuries.Contribution to Emergency Nursing Practice:
- This manuscript adds to emergency nursing knowledge by discussing the risks of cervical collars and the latest evidence regarding clinical clearance of cervical spine immobilization precautions in trauma patients.
- With this evidence, the use of cervical collars can be decreased, and only those patients who cannot be clinically cleared will need to be immobilized. This will reduce needless routine spinal immobilization of all trauma patients.