Current Practices
Emergency medicine protocol in the state of New Jersey focuses on the ABCs (airway, breathing and circulation) of the patient to ensure efficient and effective care. One of the traditionally used methods to address these concerns is the application of a cervical collar. Ideal cervical collars stabilize the neck and limit the range of motion of the cervical spine, which houses the spinal cord, airway, and important cardiovascular structures. Due to the delicate nature of these structures, the application of rigid cervical collars are one of the first ways patients are handled in pre-hospital treatment.
What’s the problem?
While the goal of rigid collars is to reduce any movement of the cervical region in order to minimize risk of secondary injury, current designs require excessive manipulation of the patient for application. Even with years of experience, cervical collars can be applied incorrectly, or adjusted poorly, leading to increased risk of secondary spinal injury. Up to 25%1 of spinal cord injuries occur during pre-hospital treatment, 70%2 of which can be attributed to ill-fitted collars. Additionally, many patients find these rigid collars to be uncomfortable and therefore choose to opt out of using them.
Our solution
Our objective is to create a new collar design that addresses the ineffectiveness of current collars. We aim to create a device that will:
- Require minimal manipulation of the neck during application
- Reduce the risk of secondary spinal cord injury
- Effectively limit the 6 major neck motions
- Ensure patient safety and comfort
Throughout our re-evaluation of the cervical collar we will address the previously mentioned issues by incorporating new, non-rigid elements into the device to meet our goals.
[1] R. Kanwar, B. E. Delasobera, K. Hudson, and W. Frohna, “Emergency department evaluation and treatment of cervical spine injuries,” Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2015.
[2] N. Theodore, M. N. Hadley, B. Aarabi, S. S. Dhall, D. E. Gelb, R. J. Hurlbert, C. J. Rozzelle, T. C. Ryken, and B. C. Walters, “Prehospital Cervical Spinal Immobilization After Trauma,” Neurosurgery, vol. 72, no. suppl_3, pp. 22–34, Jan. 2013.