Pain and tissue-interface pressures during spine-board immobilization

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Spine boards are standard for immobilizing patients in emergency medical services (EMS).
• Discomfort and potential tissue damage from spine board use are understudied.
• Limited research exists on mitigating negative effects of spine board immobilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare pain levels and tissue-interface pressures in volunteers immobilized on spine boards with and without air mattresses.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of air mattresses in reducing discomfort during simulated EMS transport.

Main Methods:

• A prospective crossover study involving 20 healthy volunteers.
• Volunteers were immobilized on a spine board with and without an air mattress for 80 minutes each, in a randomized order.
• Pain was assessed using a visual analog scale, and tissue-interface pressures were measured at the occiput, sacrum, and heel.

Main Results:

• Mean pain scores were significantly lower with the air mattress (9.7 mm) compared to without (37.5 mm) (P < .0001).
• All participants reported greater comfort with the air mattress.
• Significantly lower tissue-interface pressures were recorded at the occiput, sacrum, and heel when using the air mattress (P < .0001).

Conclusions:

• Immobilization on a spine board with an air mattress significantly reduces volunteer-reported pain.
• Air mattresses substantially decrease tissue-interface pressures, potentially preventing pressure necrosis.
• EMS providers should consider using air mattresses to enhance patient comfort and minimize tissue injury during spine board immobilization.