“At the time of the car accident, I felt a numbness in the back of my neck. A kind-hearted neighbor brother found out and kept massaging my neck. I didn’t expect such kind help to possibly break the remaining connected nerves,” recalled Xiao Ni, a spinal cord injured friend.
The number of deaths and injuries from accidents in Taiwan has been increasing year by year. According to data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, accidents rank sixth among the top 10 causes of death in Taiwan, with traffic accidents being the most common. Therefore, experts remind the public not to move the injured person casually when encountering a car accident, otherwise being enthusiastic about helping may make the injury more serious. The general public is usually enthusiastic about helping to lift the injured in the face of crisis management in car accidents. However, the Spinal Cord Injury Foundation stated that there have been many medical cases showing that casually lifting or moving an injured person can cause displacement of the neck, compression of nerves or trachea, and unfortunately, sudden death on the spot; In addition, sometimes patients may be confused, but their breathing and heartbeat are normal and there is no immediate danger to their lives. However, improper first aid methods can lead to lifelong paralysis or life-threatening situations.
The Spinal Cord Injury Foundation calls on those who have witnessed a car accident to assist in directing traffic, protecting the injured, and preventing secondary accidents caused by rear car collisions before the arrival of police and ambulance personnel, or to help them hold umbrellas to shelter from wind and rain. However, please remember not to move or assist the injured, and do not give any medication on your own. It is more appropriate to entrust the task of moving the injured to professional ambulance personnel. Please convey the concept of “saving lives cannot be moved” to people around you and me.
The Fire Department’s Ambulance Department explains that the injured should wait in place for the rescue personnel to perform the correct four word first aid formula “test, set, fix, and send” to grasp the golden rescue period.
Measurement: Measure the injury status of the injured person to determine the extent of spinal cord damage.
Set: Put on a neck collar to secure the neck and prevent the injured person’s neck from being injured twice.
Fixed: Fix the injured person’s head, neck, and body in a straight line on a transport board or stretcher.
Delivery: Immediately take the injured person to a nearby teaching hospital or medical center for emergency treatment.
