Abstract

The incidence of cervical spine injury (CSI) in football is low (3,6). Proper management of CSI is, however, essential to prevent additional trauma to the spinal cord. Further, x-ray examination is necessary to rule out CSI if any suspicion of the injury exists. Transport of the potential CSI victim to a medical facility requires special equipment, trained personnel and teamwork. The team responsible for moving the athlete with potential CSI often consists of athletic trainers, emergency medical personnel and team physicians. Athletic trainers and emergency medical personnel may follow different protocols for managing potentially cervical spine injured athletes wearing helmets. The purpose of this article is to call attention to the different protocols, present a model protocol for on the field management and emphasize the need for communication between the athletic training staff and local emergency medical services before a cervical spine injury occurs. Verf.-Referat