Letters

I am a volunteer with St. John Ambulance First Aid Brigade, as well as a first-aid and CPR Instructor for St. John Ambulance in Cornwall, Ontario. I just read with interest your November 2005 article, "Live to tell," page 22, by Peter Greenbaum, NRCA's manager of education programs, and I have found one of the first-aid tips to be fatal.

The article states, "If a worker has a bad fall, he should not be moved. … If the victim is unconscious, open his airway by tilting his head back so his chin points up."

If you suspect a head/spinal injury, tilting the head back could sever the spinal cord, causing immediate death! The proper method of opening an airway of a casualty with a suspected head or spinal injury is to use the "jaw thrust without head tilt" method. This method opens the airway by moving the jaw forward, which prevents a blocked airway without tilting the head back. It is more difficult to do, which is why the head tilt/chin lift method is used when a head or neck injury is not suspected.

Your article contains excellent information, and I just want to prevent anyone from getting hurt. I look forward to reading more informative articles.

Dan Plant
Lowe, Gravelle & Associates Inc.
Cornwall, Ontario

Following is Greenbaum's response to the letter:

Thank you for pointing out the discrepancy. Whenever a head or neck injury is suspected, it is critical the victim's head movements be restricted. Plant describes the proper method of opening the airway for situations involving potential head or neck injuries.