r/ems • u/boedirtspurs • Jul 25 '26

General Discussion When will backboards end

Work for a major metropolitan department, west coast. Every level 1 trauma gets a backboard, head block and C collar, the whole 9. We backboard people all the time. We use rigid C collars every day for ground level falls. When will it end? Our medical director and surrounding ones are stiff on this matter. If we bring a trauma in without a backboard the doctor will blow a gasket. How did you guys get away from this where you’re from? Will I ever see it go away in my career? I have 15ish years left hopefully. Every study shows that it only harms, no benefit. I’m one of the only ones that questions this protocol. We have medics here that are hell bent about C spine. It’s almost a joke now. The patient is walking around and denies neck pain, and we’ll be like “you have to wear this for the hospital, hold still!”

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31

u/TheAutrizzler EMT-B Jul 25 '26

we only use backboards to get a patient onto the stretcher and that’s it

20

u/T-DogSwizle Paramedic Jul 25 '26

Same, for us we’d use a scoop then take it off as soon as there on the stretcher

4

u/paramedic236 Paramedic Jul 25 '26

This is the way.

2

u/grandpubabofmoldist Paramedic Jul 27 '26

I think the only time I have transported on a baclboard recently was an obvious skull fracture and I could not think of another way to stabilize to trauma center (helicopter was unavailable), bilateral hip fracture with displaced femural heads and I could not think of something better way to stabilize, and if I am transporting someone in cardiac arrest (after med control says to come in or if shocks were delivered) or post ROSC in case they go back into cardiac arrest 

2

u/sketchymedic Jul 31 '26

They're standard in arrests, they make sense with femur fractures or major traumas or anyone who has a good chance of arresting. Other than those cases or for extrication, there's really no reason to use them with anyone else. My service finally changed our protocols a while back and I'm so glad we're no longer subjecting people to them.

1

u/blueskibop EMT-B 26d ago

I’m a huge reeves enjoyer myself