How to Identify a Neck Injury

Neck injuries are one of the most serious types of injury that can occur, as they can result in paralysis, physical and mental disability and even death. If you are present at the scene of an accident, you may need to tell if someone has a neck injury so that you can avoid moving them inappropriately and further hurting the person. In this article, we will discuss how to identify a neck injury.

Instructions

How To Identify A Neck Injury

• 1

  Survey the scene of the accident. Check to see how the injured person is positioned. If he or she is lying with the neck twisted at an odd angle or if the victim appears to have landed on his or her head, then a neck injury is more likely to have occurred.

• 2

  Question the victim, but do not touch or move them. Ask the victim what happened. Remind them not to move. They will be able to tell you more about the injury by describing the accident. If they hit their head in any way, do not move them and do not ask them to move.

• 3

  Ask about pain.Ask the victim what hurts, but remind them not to show you since that will involve moving. Neck injuries are accompanied by continuous, persistent and severe neck pain. Also, victims may experience radiating pain down their arms and legs. In very severe cases, they may feel numb in parts or all of their body.

• 4

  Wait for professional help. Keep the victim calm while help arrives. Do not attempt to move the victim yourself or encourage the victim to test various limbs or rise. Once professional first responders such as firemen or emergency medical workers arrive, they will be able to transport the victim with the proper equipment to prevent further injury.