How should spinal injuries be managed in the field?

• A. Stabilize the spine, avoid movement, apply immobilization, and evacuate with alignment maintained.
• B. Move the casualty to a standing position for evacuation.
• C. Only assess; proceed without immobilization.
• D. Use manual stabilization without immobilization devices.

Answer: (A)

In field care, the priority is preventing any movement that could worsen a suspected spinal injury and keeping the spine aligned during transport. The best approach is to stabilize the spine, avoid movement, apply immobilization, and evacuate with alignment maintained. Stabilizing the spine means keeping the head, neck, and torso in a neutral position and using supports to hold them steady. Avoiding movement is essential because even small shifts can aggravate nerve or spinal cord injury. Immobilization devices like a rigid cervical collar and a spine board keep the spine aligned and secure during transport. Evacuating with that alignment maintained ensures the protection continues until definitive care is reached. The other options fall short because they involve moving the casualty, lack immobilization, or skip stabilization, all of which increase the risk of worsening injury.