Question

You arrive on-scene to a two-vehicle MVA. One vehicle is already being attended to by another ambulance, so you head to the other car. Your patient is a 40-year-old male, standing outside of his car. Immediately, you can see your patient slightly swaying on his feet, and his breath smells of alcohol, but he has no noticeable injuries. There is slight crumpling on the driver's side of his car, and airbags have been deployed. Your patient adamantly says that he is not injured, but upon an assessment of his mental faculties, he is unsure of what month it is or what city he is in at the time. The patient does admit that he has only had two beers and is not inebriated.

What C-Spine precautions, if any, should you take?

A. Patient is ambulatory, and the lack of ability to remember the city he is in or what month it is can be attributed to the shock of the crash and his being inebriated

B. Patient will need full C-spine precautions, including a backboard. The patient will also immediately need your partner to administer manual C-spine and apply a cervical collar when possible.

C. Patient does not need cervical precautions because he will be in police custody, and they are not qualified for these interventions

D. Patient only needs a cervical collar, just in case his symptoms are caused by a head injury

Answer 1

C-Spine precautions should be taken for a patient in this scenario, even if the patient claims to be uninjured and not under the influence of alcohol.

Step-by-step explanation:

C-Spine precautions should be taken for a patient in this scenario. The patient is showing signs of potential head and neck injury, such as confusion and the inability to remember certain details. Even if the patient claims to be uninjured, it is important to err on the side of caution and protect the cervical spine. This can be done by placing the patient on a backboard and applying a cervical collar. The patient should not be assumed to be under the influence of alcohol or in police custody, as these factors do not negate the need for C-Spine precautions.