Prehospital emergency personnel have placed a patient in a head brace and on a backboard after a motor vehicle accident. The nurse would advocate for the patient to be removed from this immobilization at what time?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient should be removed from immobilization as soon as assessment is completed and a treatment plan is established. Prolonged immobilization can cause complications, such as pressure ulceration, hypostatic pneumonia, and psychological stress. However, before removing the immobilization device, the patient must be stabilized, an assessment must be completed, and a treatment plan must be established. A cross-table lateral cervical spine X-ray may be part of the assessment but is not the sole factor determining when to remove the immobilization. Admittance to the neurological intensive care unit does not necessarily indicate that the patient needs to be immobilized or not.

Prehospital Emergency Personnel Have Placed a Patient in a Head