The management of the airway and cervical spine control

Establishing and maintaining a clear airway are essential prerequisites for successful resuscitation and are therefore the first medical interventions in the trauma patient. If the cervical spine is injured, the spinal cord may be jeopardized if any airway intervention is not performed in a controlled manner. This chapter will describe how the airway can be assessed, cleared and secured, at the same time minimizing the risk to the spinal cord.