What is the recommended transport position for a casualty with suspected spinal injury?

• A. Seated upright with head supported
• B. Supine with cervical immobilization and securement to a spine board
• C. Prone with no immobilization
• D. Recovery position on the side

Answer: (B)

The main idea is to prevent any movement of the spine during transport to avoid worsening a spinal injury. In a casualty with suspected spinal injury, you want the person lying flat on their back with the spine kept in a neutral, aligned position. Applying a cervical collar stabilizes the neck, and securing the person to a rigid spine board immobilizes the entire spine so the head, neck, and torso move together as a unit. This setup minimizes risk of secondary injury during loading, transfer, and movement in the field, and it also keeps the airway and chest accessible for monitoring and management.

Seated upright with the head supported can still allow subtle spine movement during handling or with vibration and transfer, and it doesn’t provide full immobilization. Prone with no immobilization leaves the spine unprotected and can complicate airway access. The recovery position on the side is inappropriate for suspected spinal injury because it fails to immobilize the spine and can worsen alignment or compromise airway safety.

So, supine with cervical immobilization and securement to a spine board is the best approach to protect the spine during transport.