Rethinking the Management of Spinal Cord Injuries w/ Michael Millin, MD, MPH & Benjamin Abo, DO, Paramedic

Summary generated by Riverside AI.

Mustafa Sidik and Dr. Jim Brady sit down with Dr. Michael Millin and Dr. Ben Abo to discuss their recent paper, Prehospital Trauma Compendium: Prehospital Management of Spinal Cord Injuries - A NAEMSP Comprehensive Review and Analysis of the Literature. During the episode, they discuss the importance of evidence-based practices in EMS, challenging traditional dogmas surrounding spinal motion restriction. They emphasize the need for a shift in protocols to prioritize patient comfort and perfusion over rigid immobilization techniques. The discussion highlights the ethical implications of current practices and the necessity for ongoing research to improve patient outcomes in emergency medicine.

Link to the paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/10903127.2025.2541258?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

Keywords: EMS, spinal cord injuries, trauma compendium, patient safety, spinal motion restriction, medical ethics, emergency medicine, research methodology, patient care, perfusion

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to EMS and Personal Experiences

05:46 Exploring the Paper: Background and Purpose

11:14 Scientific Rigor and Methodology

16:34 Research Findings and Implications

22:05 Discussion on Evidence and Hypotheses

27:42 Pathophysiology and Patient Care

32:58 Historical Context and Evolution of Practices

35:53 Spinal Immobilization: The Maryland Way

39:18 The Harms of Spinal Motion Restriction

42:39 Effectiveness of Spinal Motion Restriction Procedures

45:34 Limitations and Future Directions

50:11 Perfusion and Patient Management

55:07 Challenging the Status Quo in EMS

59:43 The Importance of Evidence-Based Medicine