Effect of Spinal Immobilization with a Long Backboard and Cervical Collar on the Vital Signs

Aim: The aim of this study was to research the effect of a long backboard (LBB) and cervical collar (CC) devices on neck and/or back pain and changes in the vital signs of healthy subjects. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the emergency department of a training and research hospital with 45 healthy adult volunteers. All the volunteers were asked to lie down on the LBB, and a CC was applied. All the vital signs, including respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SO2), blood pressure (BP) and visual analog scores (VAS) were measured and recorded for all the volunteers at 0, 5, and 30 min. Results: Significant increases in VAS and significant decreases in systolic BP were detected (p-values were <0.001 and 0.01, respectively). However, in terms of diastolic BP, RR, HR, and SO2, no significant changes were detected. Conclusion: Physicians should be aware that spinal immobilization with LBB and CC can cause significant changes in some vital signs, such as SBP and VAS. However, data on this topic is limited; therefore, there is a need for further studies involving a larger cohort population. (Eurasian J Emerg Med 2016; 15: 65-8)