C-spine 1

Scenario:

You are walking in the Roaches and you see a family on the edge of the rocks. You hear a shout and one of the children in the group has slipped and fallen approximately 3m. The child is approximately 10 years old.

D- check for risk of falling rocks, ensure remaining group members are safe and away from edge.

R- the patient is responding.

C- maintain manual in-line stabilisation of C-spine due to dangerous mechanism. No evidence of catastrophic haemorrhage.

A- Airway is patent as the patient is responding, trachea is central.

B- patient is breathing, equal chest expansion bilaterally. RR is 17. O2 sats are 98%. Normal auscultation and percussion.

C- HR is 105bpm, BP is 101/68mmHg. Chest clear, abdo clear, pelvis clear, long bones clear. PCR is <2 sec, CCR is < 2 sec

D- pupils equal and reactive to light, patient is confused, temperature is 36.5D, no focal neurological deficits/posturing. Glucose is 4.8.

E- bruising behind the ears indicating a basal skull fracture (Battle sign), blood from a head injury.

Patient begins to lose consciousness and stops maintaining their own airway, airway adjuncts required. Need to use bag-valve mask to ventilate.