Suspected Spinal Injury Management
Posted on 30th September 2016
STA has revised the Pool Rescuer manual to remove the use of cervical collars for suspected spinal injury management, following the recommendation from the European Resuscitation Council 2015 regarding spinal motion restriction:
The routine application of a cervical collar by a first aid provider is not recommended. In suspected cervical spine injury, manually support the head in position limiting angular movement until experienced healthcare provision is available.
Additionally, STA has removed dry-side backboard techniques following the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines February 2016, recommending the use of a scoop stretcher for healthcare professionals and stating:
Do not transport people with suspected spinal injury on a longboard or any other extrication device. A longboard should only be used as an extrication device.
The Backboard Application with the Use of a Rigid Cervical Collar within Leisure Facilities additional unit for STA Pool Lifeguard and Pool Responder courses will be revised to reflect these changes, which will take effect from Tuesday 1st November 2016.
The revised STA Pool Rescuer manual will be available from Saturday 1st October 2016.
If you have any questions regarding these changes, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.