MSK

Canadian C-Spine Rule

Decision rule for alert (GCS 15) and stable adult trauma patients to identify those who need cervical spine radiography. Highly sensitive for clinically important cervical spine injury.

Any high-risk feature: age ≥ 65, dangerous mechanism, or paresthesias in extremities

Dangerous mechanism = fall ≥ 3 ft / 5 stairs, axial load, MVC > 100 km/h, rollover, ejection, motorized recreational vehicle, bicycle struck or collision

Any low-risk feature permitting safe range-of-motion testing

Simple rear-end MVC, sitting in ED, ambulatory at any time, delayed neck pain, no midline tenderness

Able to actively rotate neck 45° to the left AND right

Source

Stiell IG, Wells GA, Vandemheen KL, Clement CM, Lesiuk H, De Maio VJ, Laupacis A, Schull M, McKnight RD, Verbeek R, Brison R, Cass D, Dreyer J, Eisenhauer MA, Greenberg GH, MacPhail I, Morrison L, Reardon M, Worthington J. The Canadian C-spine rule for radiography in alert and stable trauma patients. JAMA 2001.

PMID 11597285 Ask House about this