title: Long backboard versus vacuum mattress splint to immobilize whole spine in trauma victims in the field: a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with possible spinal injury must be immobilized properly during transport to medical facilities. The aim of this research was comparing spinal immobilization using a long backboard (LBB) with using a vacuum mattress splint (VMS) in trauma victims transported by an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this randomized clinical trial, 60 trauma victims with possible spinal trauma were divided to two groups, each group immobilized with one of the two instruments. Speed and ease of application, immobilization rate, and the patients' comfort were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this survey, LBB was faster to apply: 211.66 (SD = 28.53) seconds vs 654.00 (SD = 16.61) seconds. Various measures of immobilization were better by LBB. Also, LBB offered a significant improvement in comfort over a VMS for the patient with possible spinal injury. All of the results were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study showed that immobilization using LBB was easier, faster, and more comfortable for the patient, and provided additional decrease in spinal movement when compared with a VMS.
authors.affiliation: 1 Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: Babak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mahshidfar
authors.forename: Mani
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mofidi
authors.forename: Ali-Reza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Yari
authors.forename: Saied
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehrsorosh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007103:Immobilization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013124:Spinal Injuries; D013165:Splints / Q000592:standards*; D013997:Time Factors; D014618:Vacuum