Question

You and your partner are the first to arrive at the scene of a man who fell approximately 20′ (6 m) from a second-story balcony. The patient is found lying on his side. He is conscious and alert with adequate breathing. A paramedic unit is approximately 5 minutes away. You should:

A. keep the patient's head and neck stabilized, tell the patient not to move, and wait for the paramedic unit to arrive at the scene.
B. carefully place the patient on his back and stabilize his head and neck until the paramedic unit arrives at the scene.
C. apply a cervical collar and carefully secure the patient to a short backboard or vest-style immobilization device.
D. carefully immobilize the patient to a long backboard and monitor his condition until the paramedic unit arrives.

Answer 1

The correct answer is to keep the patient's head and neck stabilized, tell the patient not to move, and wait for the paramedic unit to arrive at the scene.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer is A. keep the patient's head and neck stabilized, tell the patient not to move, and wait for the paramedic unit to arrive at the scene. In cases where a patient has fallen from a height and there is a suspicion of a back or neck injury, it is important to keep the patient still and avoid moving them. Moving the patient could result in permanent paralysis or other serious complications. Stabilizing the head and neck and waiting for medical professionals to arrive at the scene is the appropriate course of action.