====== Pediatric cervical spine injury management ====== {{rss>https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rss/search/1TK-00Bd3YG_J77YNHe-2anRtsTq_crcJ_aYkycNXArdUnxMrq/?limit=15&utm_campaign=pubmed-2&fc=20230212173251}} ---- ---- In pediatric populations, there are no well-established guidelines for cervical spine trauma evaluation and treatment. Currently, there is virtually no literature regarding imaging and management of symptomatic pediatric patients who present with cervical spine trauma without a high-impact mechanism. Booth 2012 reviewed the current literature as it relates to imaging of the child suspected to have cervical spine injury (CSI) and the imaging findings of pediatric CSI, focusing on strategies to minimize radiation dose while maximizing diagnostic yield. Although CSI is uncommon in children, the clinical implications of failure to correctly diagnose CSI are significant. Clinical decision rules proven effective in predicting CSI in adults cannot be uniformly applied to children ((Booth TN. Cervical spine evaluation in pediatric trauma. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2012 May;198(5):W417-25. doi: 10.2214/AJR.11.8150. Review. PubMed PMID: 22528922. )). ===== Diagnosis ===== Children injured during sports and recreational activities, focal neurologic findings, neck pain, axial loading impacts, and the possibility of spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality should guide the diagnostic evaluation for potential cervical spine injuries ((Babcock L, Olsen CS, Jaffe DM, Leonard JC; Cervical Spine Study Group for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN).. Cervical Spine Injuries in Children Associated With Sports and Recreational Activities. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2016 Sep 30. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27749628. )). The optimal imaging modality for evaluating cervical spine trauma and optimizing management in the pediatric population is controversial. ===== Cervical Spine Radiography ===== [[Cervical Spine Radiography in Pediatric cervical spine injury]]. ===== Cervical spine computed tomography ===== [[Cervical spine computed tomography in Pediatric cervical spine injury]]. ===== Cervical Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging ===== [[Cervical Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pediatric cervical spine injury]]. ====Transport==== Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers believe that rigid cervical collars and long backboards with soft conforming surfaces provide optimal spinal precautions. There were no consensus beliefs, however, for use of particular precautions based on age and risk factors ((Chang CD, Crowe RP, Bentley MA, Janezic AR, Leonard JC. EMS Providers' Beliefs Regarding Spinal Precautions for Pediatric Trauma Transport. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2016 Dec 5:1-10. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 27918863. )).