180 chapter 23
HOW TO PREVENT MORE SEVERE SPINAL CORD INJURY IN
CASE OF ACCIDENT
When a person has just had an accident that may have injured the spinal cord, great
care must be taken to prevent further damage.
After an accident, there may be spinal cord injury if:
• the person is unconscious, or
• the person cannot move, cannot feel, or has numbness in his legs or hands.
If you think the spinal cord might be injured:
• Do not move the person until a health worker with a large board or stretcher
arrives. Especially avoid bending the person’s neck and back.
• Lift the person without bending him, onto a board or stiff stretcher. (A stiff rack
is better than a soft
stretcher. Make one
out of poles from
trees or whatever is
available.) Make ties
of strips of clothing,
or whatever you can.
sandbags or
rolls of
clothing
to hold
head firmly
• Tie him down firmly and stabilize his head.
• Carry the person to a medical center or hospital. Try not to bounce or jiggle him.
HOW TO LIFT A SEVERELY INJURED PERSON ONTO A STRETCHER
from Where There Is No Doctor
1. 2. Make sure
that the
head and
neck do
not bend.
With great care, lift the injured person
without bending him anywhere.
3.
Have another person put the stretcher
in place.
4. sandbags
With the help of everyone, place the
injured person carefully on the stretcher.
Disabled village Children
If the neck is injured or broken, put bags of
sand or tightly folded clothing on each side
of the head to keep it from moving.
When carrying, try to keep the feet up, even
on hills.