FireMedic3982

Even if the redness resembled his mesh shirt something compressed it against the skin to make the imprint. Therefore, that indicates blunt force to the back. I did read your post. You only mentioned palpating the c-cpine. Thanks for clarifying. Some things are cut and dry. When they fall within a very specific protocol. However, the appliation of the protocol falls to our judgement. It's hard to sit a say it was right or wrong from a written scenario. I have had the same problem with the ER for the same reason, expecially when we first started the criteria based immoblization. We don't do c-spine "clearance" in this area. A nursing home patient with a diagnosed compression fracture that is being treated doesn't compare to a pre-hospital patient hit by a car. Two entirely different scenarios there. I apoligize if my post seemed rude. It seriously was not intended that way, verbal vs. written communication.

You stated that he had obvious redness to the lower thoracic spine, but you only note that he had no tenderness to the c-spine. To exclude a patient from spinal immoblization you must palpate the entire spine, not just the c-spine. Any complaint to the spinal column requires spinal immobilization. Plain and simple.