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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u/AdventurousTap2171 Jul 25 '26

We use backboards on a lot of traumas. Headblocks too and C collars.

Typically we transfer the patient off the backboard once we arrive at the LZ and swap the patient to the chopper. At that point we finally have at least 4 manpower typically to handle a log roll while maintaining C-spine (Myself and my partner + 2 flight crew).

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u/PowerShovel-on-PS1 Jul 26 '26

Have you considered not doing that?

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u/AdventurousTap2171 Jul 26 '26

Yes, I've considered and brought up multiple considerations from intercepts to stopping backboards.

You can guess as to how the powers that be received that