Background: Assessment of the spine in the unconscious trauma patient is limited by an inadequate clinical examination. The potential of a missed unstable disc or ligamentous injury results in many patients remaining immobilized in critical care units for prolonged periods.
Methods: This study evaluates helical computed tomographic (CT) scanning of the whole cervical spine as part of a spinal assessment and clearance protocol.
Results: Four hundred thirty-seven unconscious, intubated, blunt trauma patients underwent CT scanning of the cervical spine. Sixty-one patients had a cervical spine injury and 31 (7.0%) were unstable. CT scanning had a sensitivity of 98.1%, a specificity of 98.8%, and a negative predictive value of 99.7%. There were no missed unstable injuries. In contrast, an adequate lateral cervical spine film detected only 24 injuries (14 unstable), with a sensitivity of 53.3%.
Conclusion: Helical CT scanning of the cervical spine allows rapid and safe evaluation of the cervical spine in the unconscious, intubated trauma patient.