Spinal immobilization in trauma victims in an out-of-hospital setting: scoping review protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Trauma is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although there is no evidence to support the safety and efficacy of spinal immobilization and its several adverse effects associated to spinal immobilization of trauma victims, it remains a common practice. Objective: To map the evidence regarding the spinal immobilization criteria and its adverse effects associated in trauma patients. Methods: The methodological guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute for scoping reviews will be followed for this literature review. The databases used will be the Nursing & Allied Health Collection, Cochrane Plus Collection: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, MedicLatina, MEDLINE COMPLETE, SPORTDiscus (via EBSCOHost), Scielo, LILACS and Sciencedirect. Other potential sources in the gray literature, including professional websites, and the references of the included articles will be considered. Results: The results will be summarized and reported in a narrative summary and the evidence should directly respond to the review objective and question, aiming to cluster evidence regarding spinal immobilization and the associated adverse effects and identify possible knowledge gaps. Conclusion: Knowledge of morbidity associated with immobilization devices, as well as support for their use, can contribute to better care practice in the effective and safe approach to trauma, ensuring more informed decision-making about the need for immobilization.