Mishandling a person whose back or neck is broken ca cause
permanent paralysis or even death.
A casualty with a suspected broken back or neck should be
moved only if he is in immediate danger, in a burning building, for
example.Otherwise leave him where he
is.Any moving should be left to
ambulance men who have the right equipment.
Before you even touch an injured person, look for possible
clues,For example, if he is lying at
the foot of a ladder or a flight of stairs, it is possible he has suffered a
back or neck injury.
Warning signs
Loss
of feeling and movement below the injured area, or a sensation of having
been cut in half.
Pain
at the site of injury
A
tingling sensation or pins and needles in the hands and feet (denotes neck
injury)
Inability
to move fingers, wrists, toes or ankles when asked to do so, with no
symptoms of a broken arm or leg
Inability
to feel pain when the skin is gently nipped.
Difficulty
in breathing
What you should do
Tell
the casualty to lie still
Cover
him with a blanket and comfort him as much as possible.Do not raise the head or try to rest it
on anyting.Call for an ambulance.
If the
casualty is unconscious, and lying on his back, do not turn him over into
the recovery position.Leave him
face up and clean his mouth of any obstructions to breathing with your
fingers.
Watch
his breathing carefull.If it
stops, begin mouth-to-mouth respiration immediately, even though tilting
the head risks further damage to the spine.Be as careful and gently as you can.
