03/23/2025
New publication from Univ Pitt EMS faculty! 🚑👶
How often is spinal motion restriction (SMR) used in pediatric EMS care, and what factors influence its application? This study analyzed over 620,000 injured children transported by EMS and found that 10.8% received SMR. Key factors linked to SMR use included older age, longer transport times, altered consciousness, high pain scores, and certain injury mechanisms (e.g., pedestrian or non-traffic MVCs).
These findings can help refine pediatric EMS guidelines and ensure SMR is used appropriately in prehospital care.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39938235/ Stay informed on the latest in pediatric trauma research!
We identified multiple factors associated with SMR use. These findings provide an opportunity to evaluate practices, track changes, and assess the impact of updated SMR guidelines in pediatric EMS.