A 12 month clinical audit of cervical spine imaging in multiply injured and intubated patients

Abstract

Previous work has questioned how plain films should be used when imaging the cervical spine of trauma patients. The authors wanted to identify whether the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines were being followed with respect to the imaging of patients presenting with cervical spine injury over a 1 year period. Data retrieved from the Electronic Digital Information Service (EDIS) computerised database records of all patients presenting with a triage code 1 or 2 between 1 September 2007 and 31 August 2008 were used to conduct a retrospective audit that identified multiply injured and intubated patients who did not undergo CT of the cervical spine and to highlight the use of plain films when the patient was to undergo CT of the head and cervical spine. A clinical record search identified 52 patients with a mean age of 32 years, of whom 73% were males, who had been admitted with multiple traumas and had undergone imaging of the cervical spine. Although no patient was intubated without undergoing CT of the cervical spine or head, seven patients had plain films when it was clear that they were to undergo CT. In conclusion, the audit emphasised the excellent work of emergency department and radiology staff in identifying and imaging multiple trauma patients, as all patients requiring CT of the cervical spine received this investigation. However, careful thought should be given to ordering plain films before CT, as some patients who clearly required CT of the cervical spine underwent unnecessary lateral plain films in the emergency department, delaying their progression to definitive care.