Prehospital guidelines on in-water traumatic spinal injuries for lifeguards and prehospital emergency medical services: an international Delphi consensus study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Trauma guidelines on spinal motion restriction (SMR) have changed drastically in recent years. An international group of experts explored whether consensus could be reached and if guidelines on SMR performed by trained lifeguards and prehospital EMS following in-water traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) should also be changed.

Methods

An international three-round Delphi process was conducted from October 2022 to November 2023. In Delphi round one, brainstorming resulted in an exhaustive list of recommendations for handling patients with suspected in-water TSCI. The list was also used to construct a preliminary flowchart for in-water SMR. In Delphi round two, three levels of agreement for each recommendation and the flowchart were established. Recommendations with

SUBMITTER: Breindahl N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11344453 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature