Extrication with spinal motion restriction is used when a head, neck, or spinal injury is suspected and the person is breathing.

Extrication with spinal motion restriction is used when a head, neck, or spinal injury is suspected and the person is breathing.

• A. A person with head, neck, or spinal injury but breathing.
• B. A person with head, neck, or spinal injury who is not breathing.
• C. A person with head, neck, or spinal injury who is breathing.
• D. A person with any injury.

Answer: (C)

Spinal motion restriction during extrication is about moving someone with a suspected head, neck, or spinal injury while keeping the spine aligned to prevent further injury. It’s used when there is a possible spinal injury and the person is breathing because you can safely transport them without compromising their airway while you maintain inline stabilization. If the person isn’t breathing, the priority becomes establishing ventilation (opening the airway, rescue breaths, or CPR), and movement is guided by safety and airway needs rather than spinal precautions alone. The scenario that fits this concept is someone with a head, neck, or spinal injury who is breathing, which is when you apply SMR during extrication. The other situations either involve not breathing (where airway care takes precedence) or describe injuries that don’t specify a suspected spinal injury, which isn’t the same scenario the rule addresses.

Spinal motion restriction during extrication is about moving someone with a suspected head, neck, or spinal injury while keeping the spine aligned to prevent further injury. It’s used when there is a possible spinal injury and the person is breathing because you can safely transport them without compromising their airway while you maintain inline stabilization. If the person isn’t breathing, the priority becomes establishing ventilation (opening the airway, rescue breaths, or CPR), and movement is guided by safety and airway needs rather than spinal precautions alone. The scenario that fits this concept is someone with a head, neck, or spinal injury who is breathing, which is when you apply SMR during extrication. The other situations either involve not breathing (where airway care takes precedence) or describe injuries that don’t specify a suspected spinal injury, which isn’t the same scenario the rule addresses.