The Canadian C-Spine rule – a decision instrument designed to clinically rule out important cervical spine injuries in alert patients – was successfully and safely applied by Canadian paramedics in a study of 1949 patients. Any misinterpretation erred on the side of safety.
This important work could ultimately result in less stress, discomfort, and wasting of ambulance resources and time for this large subgroup of pre-hospital patients.
The Out-of-Hospital Validation of the Canadian C-Spine Rule by Paramedics
Ann Emerg Med. 2009 Nov;54(5):663-671