Back injuries and first aid

I thought auto accident first aid was common knowledge but apparently it's not. Susan witnessed a kid on a bike get hit by a car. The kid is seriously injured, lying in the street moaning and crying in pain. Susan and the criminal driver moved the injured boy off of the road. Susan's friends then congratulated her for assisting the boy.

For crying out loud, DON'T DO THAT! Bad bad bad. You can possibly paralyze or kill the injured victim if you move him without properly supporting his back and neck. Here's what the Red Cross has to say about moving injured victims.

If a cyclist or pedestrian is lying in the road, should I move them?

Try to avoid moving the injured person until you have assessed their injuries. Ask bystanders to stop the traffic by signalling to drivers from the pavement. If you suspect that the injured person has a neck or back injury, you must not move them unless absolutely necessary; that is, in immediate danger, such as from fire.

If you must move the person because of more imminent danger or to assess breathing of an unconscious person, support the back and neck. Keep the neck and torso as straight as possible and move in a direction that keeps the spine as straight as possible.

All damage to the spinal cord is permanent because nerve tissue cannot heal itself. The result of nerve damage is paralysis or death.

If you didn't know this already, for goodness sake take the Red Cross First Aid class or the equivalent for your area. American Red Cross First Aid: Responding To Emergencies is the text used for this class. The life you save might be mine.

I am U.S. Red Cross certified for CPR and First Aid. I am not qualified to move people with back injuries. Tags: first+aid, injury, accident, red+cross, paralysis, spine